Europe

Raids renew fears of extremist networks in German army

Soldier’s arrest after weapons seizure follows report of rising far-right views in military

German army KSK special forces members: At least 20 known neo-Nazis are members of the elite unit, according to a report last year by the military intelligence service. Photograph: Ulrich Baumgarten

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Derek Scally in Berlin
Wed Mar 10 2021 - 19:16

German investigators are to press insurrection charges against a 21-year-old soldier after a raid uncovered an arsenal of guns, knives, a machete, plastic explosives and a 10-page manifesto called “How one can seize power in Germany”.

The man from Glashütten, 30km west of Frankfurt and identified only as Tim F, joined the Bundeswehr armed forces in November 2019. Now he faces dismissal from the army and the charge of “preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state”.

As well as the weapons, the raid turned up two phones filled with extremist posts to far-right chat groups.

Investigators said his chat messages, and his manifesto, are the work of a man whose rejection of the German state stands in contrast to his admiration for the SS, the Nazi elite paramilitary division.

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But until the raid, following a tip from the man’s ex-girlfriend, investigators say he had never crossed their radar as an extremist.

What in the past could have been written off as an angry, extremist loner has triggered warning bells in Germany’s defence ministry, after yet another unflattering report into the army’s KSK special forces unit.

Black hole

The report suggests the KSK is a black hole for arms and ammunition and lists 48,000 articles that have vanished without trace. A year ago, when the KSK commander announced an amnesty on arms and ammunition, his subordinates handed back 37,000 articles – more than was held in its depots at the time in its main southern German base.

As well as missing articles, an inventory revealed 50,000 items of uncertain origin and some 62kg of missing explosives.

The report was commissioned after KSK investigators raided a soldier’s home last May and found a depot of undocumented weapons and explosives in his garden. Similar to Tim F, the KSK commando held far-right political views.

Germany’s special forces have been in and out of the headlines after a 2017 report about a party involving pig heads, neo-Nazi rock music and multiple Hitler salutes. A subsequent investigation revealed soldiers hoarding Nazi memorabilia, undeclared ammunition and explosives.

Even after extensive investigations and dismissals, at least 20 known neo-Nazis are members of the elite unit, according to a report last year by the military intelligence service.

Inter-war republic

In the armed forces as a whole, a report published last week found that suspected far-right cases in the ranks were up nearly a third in 2020 to 477.

Of particular concern in last week’s report was a doubling, to 31, of suspected “Reichsbürger”. So-called Reich citizens are members of a movement with largely far-right extremist views who deny the legitimacy of the modern German state and insist the inter-war republic still exists.

Few reliable figures exist about this shadowy group’s membership, but analysts fear the armed forces – with sloppy weapons inventory and neo-Nazi networks – are an ideal breeding ground for a “shadow army”, allowing neo-Nazi militia members siphon off equipment without being noticed.

Presenting her annual report last week, the Bundestag’s armed forced rapporteur criticised the missing KSK weapons – and the “amnesty” to bring them back.

“We need an investigation into activities in the KSK – and absolute transparency,” said Eva Högl, the Bundestag’s contact with the Bundeswehr.

Meanwhile, a new organisation of Bundeswehr veterans has begun a campaign to drive extremism out of the ranks.

“There’s no room in the ranks for people who are members of anything,” said Ronny Splettlötter of the Green Warriors organisation. “For us the only rules that count are those of the Bundeswehr.”