Off the wire
• Iran finishes third in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup  • UN to help Africa build continental e-commerce platform  • Egypt court sentences top Brotherhood guide to life in prison  • China sends inspectors to check local anti-bureaucracy efforts  • 2,200 reindeer to be killed in Norway to stop chronic wasting disease  • Poland hopes for new opening in Polish-French relations  • China's voluntary bone marrow donors hit 2.3 mln  • Rudisha seeks strong start in return to Shanghai Diamond league  • South Sudan says bad regional politics fueling violence  • China U-20 loses to Uruguay 3-1 in CFA international match  
You are here: 　 Home

German army conducts barracks searches for Nazi material

Xinhua, May 8, 2017 Adjust font size:

The inspector general of the German army Volker Wieker ordered a sweep of all barracks for Nazi artifacts, after an officer Franco A was caught trying to plot an attack disguised as a Syrian refugee.

Wall paintings depicting Wehrmacht (the name of the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany) soldiers and various collectibles were found in the course of an investigation of the barracks in Illkirch, where Franco A. was stationed.

German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen made clear that: "The Wehrmacht does in no way form a tradition for the Bundeswehr (German army)."

She appealed to all members of the Bundeswehr to support the investigations saying "this is about nothing less than the reputation of our Bundeswehr.", der Leyen told German newspaper Bild on Sunday.

A Ministry of Defense representative confirmed the order to "investigate whether regulations concerning the handling of traditions with regard" to Nazi artifacts were met.

Bundeswehr inspectors will present a preliminary report Tuesday, while the investigations are scheduled to conclude May 16. Endit