Germany investigates neo-Nazi activity in army

A committee of the German parliament is beginning an inquiry into neo-Nazi activity in the German army.

The inquiry was prompted by the discovery last month that a convicted neo-Nazi, Manfred Roeder, had addressed an elite military academy in 1995.

However the army has been embarrassed by a series of revelations of right-wing extremism, including amateur videos showing conscripts making Nazi salutes.

The first task of the committee will be to define the scope of the inquiry.

Opposition parties are arguing that a wide-ranging inquiry is needed to restore confidence in the German army.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service