Reports: Germany revamping elite army unit over extremism
BERLIN — Germany’s
Her office wouldn’t immediately provide further details, but Die Welt newspaper reported Tuesday that she plans to announce structural reforms of the unit, including the dissolution of one of its four combat companies that has been the
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Part of Germany’s Bundeswehr military, the KSK was formed as an army unit in 1996 with a focus on anti-terrorism operations and hostage rescues from hostile areas. It has served in Afghanistan and the Balkans and its operations are kept secret.
Military investigators have been looking into the unit since a group of public German broadcasters reported in 2017 that at a going-away party, members displayed the Hitler salute, listened to right-wing extremist music and participated in a game that involved tossing a pig’s head. In January, the military reported 20 soldiers are under suspicion of being right-wing extremists.
In May, the head of the unit, Brig. Gen. Markus Kreitmayr, told soldiers that he wouldn’t tolerate extremism in the ranks.
In a related move, Kramp-Karrenbauer has proposed legislation that would allow the military to more swiftly expel soldiers if their continued presence would “seriously threaten the military order or the reputation of the Bundeswehr.”
The Associated Press