Elite German military unit hit by Neo-Nazi scandal

Reports indicate that 20 other soldiers in the elite unit are being investigated for links to right-wing extremist organizations.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
German Neo-nazi (photo credit: REUTERS)
German Neo-nazi
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Bundeswehr is seeking to suspend an officer from an elite military unit over his ties to right-wing extremists. Two other soldiers have also accused him of flashing the Hitler salute, which is illegal in Germany, according to a report by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.
The unit, known as the Special Forces Command (KSK), is considered one of the most elite units in the German military.
Following a months long intelligence operation by the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), it was revealed that the officer has significant ties to right-wing extremist activities in Germany.
The officer is due to leave his post in the coming days. Two other soldiers in the KSK have also been accused of using the Hitler salute.
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer noted that the military is taking the cases "very, very seriously," adding that further actions will be taken to remove extremists from the German military.
"Anyone in the Bundeswehr who appears to be a radical has no place in the Bundeswehr," Kramp-Karrenbauer said, during a visit to Kosovo on Sunday.
The KSK is a counter-terrorist unit that is responsible for hostage rescues, and confronting terrorist threats abroad.
The head of MAD, Christof Gramm, recently reported that 20 soldiers in the KSK are being investigated for links to right-wing extremist organizations.
Christof Gramm, the head of MAD, recently reported that they are currently investigating 20 soldiers in the elite unit over suspected links to right-wing extremists.
In April 2017, a German military officer was accused of planning a far-right terrorist attack that he hoped would be seen as Islamic extremism, in a bid to increase anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

 



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