A former member of the German army’s elite Commando Special Forces (KSK) confirmed on public radio station SWR’s political programme “Zur Sache Baden-Württemberg” that a terrorist network within the German state apparatus is planning the murder of political opponents and a fascist revolt for “Day X.” To this end, infrastructure, including safe houses, secret chat groups, storage facilities and weapons depots have been established in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the former soldier said.
The network was established by leading KSK members and maintains symbiotic relations with other sections of the state apparatus, including in particular with members of the military intelligence service (MAD), members of the domestic intelligence agency (Verfassungsschutz), as well as military reservists, police officers, judges and other state officials. Both in terms of its personnel and organisation, the network is based on “Uniter,” an association of former elite soldiers, and the KSK.
The former soldier’s statements confirm earlier reports from Focus and the daily TAZ about the existence of a shadow army within the German army. The World Socialist Web Site has already reported on this.
SWR’s anonymous informant identified Andre S., the founder and deputy chairman of “Uniter” who served in the KSK until 2017, as a leading member in the network. He added that he was contacted by several members of the association during 2012 when he was still an active soldier, including Andre S. They tried to recruit him by remarking that Uniter is “a pack of wolves that controls the herd of sheep.”
The informant described the association to SWR as dangerous. Uniter possesses military commando structures, and there is a hard core of 80 to 100 people who have established weapons depots and want to destabilise the political order in Germany. The network consists of former and current KSK soldiers, as well as police officers from the special forces. The purpose of the weapons was to restore order on a “Day X,” when the group expects a collapse of state structures in Germany.
According to witness testimonies, which have been reviewed by Focus and SWR, witnesses provided concrete details about the plans for a revolt. Driven by “hatred of the left,” files were established “with the names, addresses, and photos” of people who “have to be removed.” There are several secret chat groups, all administered by Andre S., in which plans were discussed “for the arrest of politicians from the left-wing milieu and their execution at pre-arranged locations.” The army would be deployed for such operations, according to the witnesses. The term “final solution” was also allegedly employed.
Concretely, investigators from the state prosecutor are accusing a lawyer and a member of the State Office of criminal Police (LKA) of preparing these murders. Their list of targets also reportedly contains the addresses of refugee accommodation centres. According to the TAZ, the two accused and two witnesses are members of the association of military reserves and sought acceptance into the army’s home guard company (RSU), because it has access to weaponry.
In parallel to this, specially secured “safe houses” were identified “everywhere” in the Federal Republic, in which “supplies of diesel and food are stored.” The Graf-Zeppelin barracks in Calw, where the KSK is based, was also considered as an operational command centre, provided that the barracks had been “conquered” at the time.
The German army officer Franco A., who portrayed himself as a refugee and was arrested under suspicion of terrorist activity, was a member of a chat group administered by S. until his arrest. After A. was exposed, S. supposedly gave the order to delete the group so as not to endanger the “police, judges, state officials and soldiers” in the group, the TAZ reported in late 2018.
Uniter, which was founded by S., presents itself as a “community” where former and current soldiers and police officers in the special forces offer mutual support and help soldiers to return to civilian life. According to the association, national and international events are organised for this purpose, and business ties to mid-sized arms and security providers established. Additionally, the association offers courses such as self-defence and civilian topics. Based on information from its informant, SWR reported that military exercises also take place near Heidelberg.
Questioned by SWR, a spokesperson for Uniter confirmed the existence of “safe houses” run by association members and compared them to the welcoming environment of his parents’ home. The association informed SWR that since the Focus report on a “shadow army,” the group has seen an “incredible” increase in membership, with the current figure being around 1,800.
The research by SWR, Focus, and TAZ has also exposed the complicity of the Military Intelligence Service (MAD) with the right-wing extremist KSK network. According to the TAZ, Uniter founder S. was a source and informant over an extended period of time for the MAD. When the federal state prosecutor began investigating members of his association, S. was informed ahead of time by a MAD agent and a KSK soldier, allowing S. to inform his network about the investigation, the TAZ reported.
Following a request for information from Uniter and S. in the course of their research in April 2018, the newspaper received the response that S. refused in principle to write to and communicate with media outlets for reasons of maintaining secrecy and protecting the members. “If further questions or pressure emerge from your side, we will have to inform the Military Intelligence Service, etc.,” S. said.
Thus, a man who transmits confidential information about investigations by the authorities through communication channels in which political mass murder is discussed feels able to threaten to resist media inquiries by mobilising the Military Intelligence Service.
The German Reservists’ Association, which plays an important role in the army’s terrorist network, was once again in the news on Wednesday. According to the TAZ, first sergeant of the reserves, Thomas K., received the highest honours of the association. In 2014, he was discovered to be in possession of a hard drive with right-wing extremist material, including song titles such as “Race hatred,” “Zillertaler Turk hunters–SS–SA–Germania,” and “Aryan blood—Hitler’s 100th birthday.” K. has been convicted of violent crimes and was therefore temporarily banned from football stadiums across the country.
The chairman of the reservist association in Mecklenburg-Pomerania, Helge Stahn, who reported the incident with the hard drive and wanted to expel K. from the association, was subsequently voted out of office, while K. continues to work for the association. The hard drive disappeared after being sent to the domestic intelligence agency for review in 2014.
While right-wing extremists enjoy free rein and the Alternative for Germany now sits in parliament, the number of cases in which the MAD has exposed right-wing extremists in the army continues to decline. Spiegel Online and the Funke Media Group reported at least 286 such cases in 2017 and 270 last year. However, a MAD spokesperson reported that the “true” number of right-wing extremist cases over recent years was around 200, 170 of which occurred in the years 2009 to 2011. Since 2011, the numbers declined dramatically and there have only been a further 30 cases until today, the intelligence agency claims.
In addition, the MAD has not categorised a single elite soldier over the past seven years as a “recognised extremist.” This statement is particularly remarkable in light of the case of Lieutenant Colonel Pascal D. At D.’s farewell party, he and some other soldiers allegedly threw pigs’ heads and performed the Nazi salute. Although D. was forced to accept a criminal prosecution for this, the MAD refused to categorise him as a right-wing extremist.
Another right-wing extremist KSK soldier, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel K., is currently suspended. As Spiegel Online and Deutsche Welle reported last week, he allegedly stated in telephone conversations that the state no longer has the situation under control due to the influx of immigrants, meaning that “the army now has to take things over.” In a closed Facebook group, K. indicated his sympathy for the “Reichsbürger” (Reich Citizens), who refuse to accept the legitimacy of the Federal Republic.
Although K. has been known as a right-wing extremist for years, the army has only now decided to launch an investigation against him due to the “spreading of right-wing extremism on social media.” In fact, the K. case is far more serious. According to information from Der Spiegel, he sent a threatening letter signed with his full name to a senior officer who had requested to be relieved of any duties associated with supporting the intervention of Tornado aircraft in southern Afghanistan on grounds of conscience.
K. wrote, “I deem you to be an internal enemy and will direct my actions to destroy this enemy with a decisive blow.” He distanced himself from “this left-wing zeitgeist conglomerate of uniformed ration recipients.” The critical officer should return “to the swamp of Stone Age Marxism.” In conclusion, he warned, “You are being observed, no, not by impotent instrumentalised services, but by a new generation of officers who will act if the times demand it.” He wrote in the postscript, “Long live holy Germany!”
According to Deutsche Welle, K. was “heavily involved in founding the elite army unit KSK.” His threatening letter, which triggered a formal complaint by the officer who was its target, had no consequences for K., other than a single note in his personnel file.
Right-wing psychopaths like Daniel K. and fascistic conspirator Andre S. are by no means exceptional figures in the army. With the revival of German militarism, the same right-wing and fascist elements that played such a horrendous role in the Weimar Republic are being protected and promoted by the state and are returning with full force.
According to an answer to a parliamentary question tabled by the Left Party, authorities in Germany are currently investigating six KSK soldiers. The accusations range from financial fraud to severe disruption of traffic, a serious breach of the peace, the abuse of subordinates, bodily harm, rape, the ownership of child pornography, and child abuse.
At the same time, all sections of the state apparatus are wallowing in the brown right-wing extremist swamp. In close cooperation with the AfD, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has placed opponents of capitalism under state surveillance. In Frankfurt, a terrorist group named “NSU 2.0” with members in the Hesse state police is threatening a lawyer.