As of: 09/22/2021 5:44 p.m.
Is there a right-wing extremist speaker in a central department of the Ministry of Defense? The ministry has confirmed that it is being investigated – and emphasizes its zero tolerance policy towards right-wing extremists.
Zero tolerance for right-wing extremism – Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had issued this motto for the Bundeswehr. If the suspicion should now be confirmed that a despiser of democracy could sit undetected in the heart of her own ministry, that would be quite uncomfortable for the CDU politician.
In the briefing to the Bundestag, only one paragraph is initially devoted to the case: The paper addressed to the defense committee chairman states that the Bundeswehr secret service MAD has evidence of a suspected right-wing extremist in the ministry. This is a civilian speaker.
It is tricky that the suspect, as the “Spiegel” first reported, apparently had access to sensitive data. From which the man is now cut off for the time being: “The further entrustment with a security-sensitive activity”, it says in the ARD capital studio literally, the speaker is “prohibited until a final decision about the existence of a security risk” has been made.
Employed in a central department
As the ARD capital studio learned further, the man is employed in the important “Strategy and Operations” department. Among other things, foreign missions of the German armed forces are prepared, planned and controlled here.
The fact that he apparently had access to sensitive documents at such a crucial point raises questions: How did a suspected right-wing extremist end up here? How was his attitude expressed? Is he part of a network?
The spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defense, David Helmbold, confirmed the investigation, but did not want to comment on the details: “There is no place for extremism in the Federal Ministry of Defense or in the Bundeswehr. Every case is one too many, every tip is followed up.”
In the written briefing, the ministry devotes itself in more detail to the investigations against two members of the KSK special forces command: The two cases go back to 2014 and 2015.
Two KSK cases are being investigated further
It is being checked whether they can also be prosecuted: In one case, a lieutenant from the elite unit is said to have shared pictures with a right-wing extremist background in a WhatsApp group of his platoon. In the second, a sergeant major is said to have attached a black-white-red Reich flag next to the federal flag during training in the USA, or at least not done anything about it.
“The measures are taking effect. There is a zero tolerance line. We will continue to do everything in our power to remove extremists from the Bundeswehr or to keep them away from the Bundeswehr,” said the Defense Ministry spokesman.
At the same time, one should see it in Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer’s house with concern if the KSK continues to make negative headlines. The unit had shown during the evacuation operation in Kabul that it was urgently needed in operations.
Embedded Enemy? Right-wing extremist suspected case in the Federal Ministry of Defense
Kai Küstner, ARD Berlin, September 22nd, 2021 5:37 pm