A sergeant major suspected of having far-right ties had a cache of weapons in a bunker at his home. Other officers reportedly used Hitler’s salute, listened to neo-Nazi music, and played a game consisting of throwing a pig’s head.
Meanwhile, no one knows what has happened to some 61 kg of explosives and 48,000 rounds of ammunition missing.
Download the new Independent Premium app
Share the full story, not just the headlines
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer this week attempted to draw a line under the scandals surrounding the far-right ties of Germany’s elite Special Forces Command, known as the KSK, dissolving one of its combat units and announcing a restructuring .
Ms. Kramp-Karrenbauer spoke of a “toxic leadership culture” and a “wall of silence” among its members.
But experts say the problem is deep, with broader efforts needed to tackle broader problems of racism and far-right activity in the German military. Some 600 German soldiers are under investigation on allegations of extremist ties, according to Christof Gramm, head of the military intelligence service.
“There is an urgent need for action,” said Eva Hogl, defense commissioner for the German parliament. “It has been trivialized. She was not taken seriously enough.
The KSK was formed in 1996 with a focus on counterterrorism, its commandos serving in the Balkans and Afghanistan. Its operations are secret, but international missions have been halted while the restructuring is ongoing.
A total of 20 KSK commandos are under investigation for suspected far-right ties, according to Gramm, a number that authorities found particularly worrying given that the elite force has only 1,400 soldiers. An independent commission was launched in May to find ways to review the KSK.
That month, a search of an officer’s home in the eastern state of Saxony under investigation for suspected extremist ties uncovered ammunition, explosives, weapons and “unconstitutional material.” The discovery added a “new dimension” to suspicions surrounding the now-dissolved KSK company, Kramp-Karrenbauer said.
Members of the officer’s unit were under investigation after a KSK party in 2017 where Nazi salutes are said to have been used, according to German media.
Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer said it is still unclear whether the explosives and ammunition found to be missing from KSK stores have been stolen or are not taken into account due to poor accounting.
Authorities have expressed concern that extremist groups in the country appear to be increasing their preparedness for violence.
The defense minister described the restructuring as an opportunity for a “restart” of the elite command force. Germany needs the KSK, said Kramp-Karrenbauer, but would run it through with an “iron broom.”
Ms Högl said that the problems within the KSK are a reflection of the problem of right-wing extremism in the general population.
Since World War II, Germany has struggled to get rid of far-right extremists, with neo-Nazi ideology gaining ground in the uncertainty of the 1990s after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Germany.
In the past five years, there has been a revival as far-right groups have capitalized on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to allow more than a million refugees to enter much of the Middle East. Attacks linked to the extreme right have increased, as has support for the alternative right-wing party for Germany, or AfD.
Last month, German intelligence said it was putting a branch of the AfD under surveillance for alleged links to far-right groups.
“There is a basic problem with right-wing extremism across society, and it has become especially evident in the KSK,” said Hogl. But she pointed to broader cases within the German army.
In 2017, a German soldier was arrested on suspicion of planning a “false flag” attack with the intention of blaming the refugees. In the same year, memorabilia linked to Hitler’s army, the Wehrmacht, were found on display at the army barracks.
Brigadier General Markus Kreitmayr will remain the head of the KSK, having “openly and clearly” addressed the problems, the Defense Ministry said.
In a letter to his forces in May, Kreitmayr called on those who sympathize with the extreme right to leave.
“You are not one of us!” he wrote. Those who do not leave “will find that we will find you and take you out.”
Source: Washington Post
.
