Extremism

After Arrests, Germany Confronts Issue Of Far-Right Extremism In Its Military

It's a question that's been plaguing Chancellor Angela Merkel's government since the arrests in late April of two German army officers accused of an elaborate plot to assassinate the German justice minister and former German president, as well as planned attacks on refugees.

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is overseeing the probe to locate other far-right extremists within the ranks. She's been especially upset with her generals after learning that the suspects' superiors failed to act, even though they knew the two men harbored far-right views.

One of the accused officers even did a master's thesis that was flagged for its far-right content. He was nevertheless assigned to an elite Franco-German battalion in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France.