Germany's Federal Interior Affairs' Minister, Hans-Peter Friedrich (CSU, 55), played his "keep a stiff upper lip and smile"- role relatively relaxed. He got the minimum from the 16 federal states' interior ministers in terms of fighting domestic (Neo-Nazi) terrorism and mandatory intelligence agencies' information exchange.

The conference of 1+16 ministers was officially declared a success but doubts still remain. Friedrich wanted the Federal Agency for Constitutional Protection (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz) to be the coordinating head office for all 16 separate state intel entities. This 'common sense" endeavour was declined because the state governments don't like giving up some of their "sovereign" rights.

The minimum which was reached today is better than nothing.

17 "separate" German intel entities are now obliged to increase transparancy and cooperation by mandatory data exchange.

The allegedly gained efficiency by this compromise is still a double-edged sword because internal state responsibilities and own "state" orders for setting focus for their intel gathering will be upheld. There won't be any federal supervision upon state agencies, but only on same level as equal partners.

"Primus inter paris" was denied, but Friedrich can cope with this new way of domestic intel gathering and fighting domestic terrorism.

9/11 was really a 'wake-up call' for a more efficient U.S. homeland security, no doubt about it. "Connecting dots" by creating a Department of Homeland Security was a logical consequence then.

The German domestic intel organizations haven't faced such a terrible major terroristic event.

But the current inefficiencies were made obvious when a German Neo-Nazi terror cell had been able to work for years until detection due to some state organizations' "hush-hush approach" and non-cooperation with other domestic intel agencies.