Infiltration of German Army by Islamic State (ISIS) and other Jihadists has reached an alarming level, German media reports suggest. Some 29 former German Army soldiers have joined the ranks of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, reveals a newly surfaced German military intelligence report. Additionally, the military is investigating 65 suspected jihadist serving as active duty German soldiers.
According to German newspaper Handelsblatt, since 2007 German Military Counter-Intelligence Agency (MAD) has investigated 320 active duty soldiers for having suspected links to Jihadist circles. The newspaper also confirmed that until recently no backgrounds checks were done on soldiers handling sensitive combat equipment. The screening was only limited to soldiers accessing classified material.
German government is trying to downplay the level of Islamist infiltration of country’s defense establishment. According to Parliament’s commissioner for the military, Hans-Peter Bartels, there is no clear evidence of ‘Islamist organisation attempting to systematically infiltrate’ the German military.
Despite acknowledging the potential threat, Commissioner Bartels maintained that “Islamism is not the main problem facing the Budeswehr [German Army] — as things stand today.” German newspaper Handelsblatt reports:
At least 29 former Bundeswehr [German Army] soldiers have travelled to Syria and Iraq. According to unconfirmed reports by German security agencies, some of them might have joined the Islamic State (IS). Since 2007, German military has categorised 22 of its active duty soldiers as Islamists; out of them 17 have been discharged from the army. The remaining 5 had completed their military service.These details emerge from a recent reports of the Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD) obtained by the German Press Agency (dpa). Military intelligence is presently dealing with 65 cases of active duty soldiers suspected of having Islamist sympathies. (author’s translation)
Reportedly, some 700 Germans have left for Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State, including 100 female fighters. Up to 800 jihadists have either returned back to Germany after serving in the ranks of ISIS or have been stopped by the authorities on their way to joining the terrorist organisation.
The infiltration of German and other NATO militaries is part of a well laid out plan by the Islamic State. Islamic State has been urging potential recruits in Europe to get military training before heading to Iran and Syria.
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks by Islamic State on European cities, many countries are moving elite military units to take on this emerging domestic threat. In this new phases of Jihad, Islamic State will certainly tap into the expertise of its recruits who have in-depth knowledge of military’s operational and logistical capabilities.
Despite the ever-increasing threat of Islamic terrorism, European media and political class refuse to call this evil by its name, let alone fight the ideology of Islamism head on.
Video: German women in the ranks of Islamic State (ISIS)
(Cover image courtesy Bundeswehr, YouTube)
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