Tri-Service
IS Sympathisers Discovered In German Army
At least 20 so-called Islamic State sympathisers have reportedly been uncovered in the German Army.
Recruiters in Germany have also seen an upturn in the number of requests for short-term commissions in firearms training, according to the Times.
As a countermeasure, defence minister Ursula von der Leyen is set to table legislation that would enable the government to investigate recruits before they are allowed into the armed forces.
At the moment, recruits can only be investigated after they have already joined.
UK sappers train with German and Dutch engineers
That is how intelligence officials were eventually able to discover the security breach into the Bundeswehr (German military).
According to the Express, the number of people contacting recruiters about getting shorter-term weapons training has become 'inordinate in recent months'.
60 additional recruits within the military are said to be under investigation as well, meanwhile, with a further 20 having already left to go and fight with IS in the Middle East.
Bundeswehr recruits during basic training in Stallberg (image: Daniel Budde)
The Bundeswehr is an umbrella term for the German Army, Navy, and Air Force, which contains 180 full-time service personnel, according to the Global Firepower website, and 40,000 reserves, according to the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies).
Germany's population is just under 81 million, and Global Firepower compares the military strength of different countries using 50 factors, including population, military manpower, weapons, and geographic and economic factors.
It ranks Germany 9th, just behind Turkey. Britain is ranked 6th, Russia 2nd, and the US 1st.
Cover image: German mechanised infantry (©Bundeswehr/S.Wilke)
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
