DATE=1/14/98

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-225274

TITLE=GERMANY / EXTREMISM (L ONLY)

BYLINE=KYLE KING

DATELINE=BONN

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



INTRO:  A GERMAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE HAS OPENED A PROBE INTO

THE EXTENT OF NEO-NAZI ACTIVITIES IN THE COUNTRY'S ARMY.   THE

INQUIRY FOLLOWS A SERIES OF EMBARRASSING SCANDALS TO HIT THE

GERMAN MILITARY.  AS VOA'S KYLE KING REPORTS FROM BONN, OFFICIALS

SAY THE PROBE ALSO COINCIDES WITH AN INCREASE IN HATE CRIMES,

WHICH HAVE OFFICIALS CONCERNED.



TEXT:  THE PARLIAMENTARY PROBE INTO NEO-NAZI ACTIVITIES IN THE

GERMAN ARMY WAS SPARKED BY REVELATIONS THAT CONVICTED ARSONIST

MANFRED ROEDER WAS INVITED TO SPEAK AT GERMANY'S ELITE MILITARY

ACADEMY IN 1995.



THAT SCANDAL, WHICH ERUPTED LAST MONTH, FOLLOWED OTHER

REVELATIONS OF SOLDIERS SHOUTING ANTI-SEMITIC AND NEO-NAZI

SLOGANS AT BARRACKS PARTIES, AND THE DISCOVERY OF VIDEO TAPES

THAT FEATURED SOLDIERS ACTING OUT NEO-NAZI SKITS AND PRETENDING

TO CARRYING OUT RAPES AND KILLINGS.



DEFENSE MINISTER VOLKER RUEHE SAYS THE INCIDENTS ARE ISOLATED AND

ARE  NOT  PART OF AN ARMY WIDE PROBLEM.  NEVERTHELESS, HE

ACKNOWLEDGES THE SCANDALS HAVE HURT THE REPUTATION OF THE MODERN

GERMAN ARMY, WHICH HAS ONLY RECENTLY BEGUN TO TAKE A MORE ACTIVE

ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.



MEANWHILE, GERMAN OFFICIALS ARE ALSO STRUGGLING WITH AN INCREASE

IN THE NUMBER OF ASSAULTS AND OTHER CRIMES BY RIGHT-WING

EXTREMISTS.



THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL OFFICE FOR PROTECTION OF THE

CONSTITUTION, KLAUS DIETER FRITSCHE, SAYS MOST OF THE ATTACKS

APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT BY YOUTHS.



              // FRITSCHE ACT, IN GERMAN, FADES //



IN THE LAST YEAR, MR. FRITSCHE SAYS, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED AN

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS BY CLUB-WIELDING SKINHEADS IN

EASTERN GERMANY, AS WELL AS IN BIG CITIES IN THE WESTERN PART OF

THE COUNTRY. THE ATTACKS, HE SAYS, HAVE BEEN DIRECTED AT THE

HOMELESS, AS WELL AS AGAINST FOREIGNERS.



CRIMES AGAINST FOREIGNERS, WHICH REACHED A PEAK IN THE YEARS

FOLLOWING GERMAN UNIFICATION, HAVE FALLEN SHARPLY SINCE THEN.

OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE  NOT  YET SURE WHAT TRIGGERED LAST YEAR'S

TWO PERCENT INCREASE, BUT MR. FRITSCHE BELIEVES GERMANY'S RECORD

HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT HAS PLAYED A ROLE.



           // SECOND FRITSCHE ACT, IN GERMAN, FADES //



THERE IS ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE, MR. FRITSCHE SAYS -- ABOUT HOW

TO FIND WORK AND JOB SECURITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST, WHERE

PEOPLE ARE STILL ENDURING A PAINFUL TRANSITION.



//OPT// MR. FRITSCHE, WHOSE AGENCY IS CHARGED WITH MONITORING

EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES IN GERMANY, SAYS THE FLOURISHING FAR RIGHT

MUSIC SCENE IS ALSO A WORRYING DEVELOPMENT.



           // THIRD FRITSCHE ACT, IN GERMAN, FADES //



THIS MUSIC HAS HEIGHTENED THE SPIRIT OF THE RIGHT-WING SCENE, MR.

FRITSCHE SAYS.  THE THEMES ARE CLEARLY ANTI-SEMITIC, RACIST AND

ANTI-FOREIGNER. //END OPT//



AUTHORITIES ARE WORKING TO HALT THE IMPORTATION OF NEO-NAZI

C-D'S, VIDEOS AND MAGAZINES, WHICH ARE ILLEGAL IN GERMANY, BUT

THEY SAY THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN MADE MORE COMPLICATED BY THE

GROWING USE OF THE INTERNET.



TO COMBAT THE GROWTH IN VIOLENT RIGHT-WING CRIME, AUTHORITIES IN

THE EASTERN GERMAN STATE OF BRANDENBURG HAVE ANNOUNCED FORMATION

OF A SPECIAL POLICE UNIT.



OFFICIALS SAY THEY HOPE THAT BY FOCUSING ON KNOWN NEO-NAZI

TROUBLE SPOTS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BREAK UP BANNED GATHERINGS AND

PREVENT ANY FURTHER INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ATTACKS.  (SIGNED)



NEB/KBK/PCF







14-Jan-98 1:25 PM EST (1825 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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