Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume X, Eastern Europe

302. Telegram From the Embassy in the German Democratic Republic to Multiple Posts¹

5268.

East Berlin, December 17, 1987, 1555Z

SUBJECT

• Does the GDR Still Shoot at the Wall?

REFS

• A) USBerlin 04022;²
• B) EmbBerlin 04118;³
• C) EmbBerlin 04787.⁴

1. Confidential—Entire text.

2. Summary: In Ref A, U.S. Mission Berlin asks whether the GDR’s shoot-to-kill order (Schiessbefehl) at the Berlin Wall has been lifted. Based on five shooting instances since July 21, it concludes that while the GDR may have become somewhat less quick to use deadly force, either the order remains in force or “not all GDR border guards have obeyed their new orders in recent months.” While caution in evaluating the situation is certainly in order, and retrogression will always be possible, we conclude that there has been a definite change in the GDR’s instructions to guards along the Berlin Wall and the FRG-GDR border. The Schiessbefehl probably now applies only to escape attempts by members of the East German police or army, not civilians. End summary.

3. The five instances of confirmed shooting along the wall reported in Ref A occurred July 21, August 3, August 8, August 18 and October 29. Four were thus in a four-week period from mid-July to mid-August. Border guards who fled to the West in September described in the West German press that the shooting order remained in force during the summer (Ref B). They said that it was only suspended for certain specified periods when there was an event such as the President’s visit or a major 750th anniversary program that was likely to focus world attention on Berlin, and that a further suspension had been ordered in connection with Honecker’s visit to West Germany.

4. Honecker was in the FRG September 7–11. Speculation about a more lasting change in the shooting order dates from that trip, when the East German leader was put under heavy pressure from all elements of the West German political spectrum on the issue. The only shooting incident subsequent to Honecker’s return from the FRG was October 29. Honecker told Deputy Secretary Whitehead last month that he had personally looked into that case. Without saying it in so many words, he strongly implied that shots had been fired either accidentally or against orders (Ref C).

5. Following that conversation, the Deputy Secretary told the press that he had gained the impression of a change in GDR policy. Washington Post reporter Robert Mc Cartney cited this remark as well as conversations he held in East Berlin at the beginning of this month in a Post/International Herald Tribune article. McCartney concluded that the GDR has tacitly modified its policy. As we reported at the time of the Whitehead-Honecker meeting, we also believe that it is likely that new, considerably more restrictive, orders have been given to GDR border guards this fall.

6. Our impression that the GDR has instituted a major change is strengthened by the fact that, as Ref A notes, “There have been several recent instances, involving both successful and unsuccessful escapes, where guards have foregone clear opportunities to fire upon escapees.” Experience with the way in which the GDR implemented its decision to dismantle the automatic shooting devices along its border with the FRG in the early 1980’s suggests that there will be no formal acknowledgement.

7. Our best judgment is, however, that since Honecker’s visit to the Federal Republic—that is since early September—the shooting order at the Wall (and along the FRG-GDR border) with respect to civilian would-be escapees has at least been indefinitely suspended.

Meehan

1. Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D871034–0083. Confidential. Sent Priority to the Department of State. Sent to Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Bonn, Paris, London, West Berlin, the mission to NATO, CINCUSAREUR Heidelberg, USCINCEUR Vaihingen, and CINCUSAFE Ramstein.
2. See Document 301.
3. Telegram 4118 from East Berlin, September 28, reported press reports documenting liberalized travel and a virtual suspension of the border shoot-to-kill policy in the wake of Honecker’s travels to the FRG. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D870800–0113)
4. See Document 300.