The British Daily Mail reported that the US Army was infiltrated by white supremacists and insurgents, as experts warned that the US Department of Defense report (Pentagon) The latter – which details dozens of internal plots to overthrow the government – is just the tip of the iceberg.

According to the newspaper, the Pentagon issued a report on November 30 stating that it had investigated 183 “cases of extremism” within the army, including 78 cases of elements “calling for, participating in, or supporting the overthrow of the American government.”

Experts warned that this report, which details 78 internal plots to overthrow the government, is only the tip of the iceberg.

But they say these numbers are likely to be a significant underestimate, pointing to a 2020 Military Times poll that showed a third of active service members witnessed signs of “white nationalist” or racist sentiment among their fellow troops.

Accusations of negligence

The newspaper quoted Heidi Berish, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, accusing the Pentagon of not doing enough to root out extremists in its ranks.

“If the military doesn't take this seriously, it means terrorist attacks will be more violent and more successful,” she told the Daily Mail. “This is poison to the rest of American society. If we don't uproot these people, they will be deadly.”

She added that the Pentagon report came amid recording a series of worrying trends of extremism within the army. Over the past decade, a group of “neo-Nazis” was founded by a former soldier.

A significant number of plots to attack critical infrastructure in the United States were orchestrated by current and former soldiers, while 18% of those charged in connection with the 2021 siege of the Capitol building had military backgrounds.

According to the Daily Mail, in the wake of the riots that occurred on January 6, 2021, the Pentagon admitted that it did not know how to deal with the problem of extremism within its ranks, and requested that leaders be given the opportunity to address this issue.

Matt Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University in the US capital, pointed out that extremism has been a long-term concern within the military, and the most famous example is Timothy McVeigh, the former soldier who was behind the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, leaving 168 dead and about 700 wounded.

Growing anxiety

Earlier this year, the Daily Mail revealed that security leaders were increasingly concerned about threats to the energy sector this year, with previous attacks causing entire provinces to lose power for several days.

In October, a former Marine pleaded guilty to a charge related to a neo-Nazi plot to attack US energy infrastructure, which was planned over three years at a military camp in North Carolina.

Liam Collins (24 years old) was accused of stealing military equipment and delivering it to conspirators who planned to use it in attacks on power stations.

Perhaps the most famous recent example of extremists infiltrating the US military – the Daily Mail continues – was Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Hasson.

The former Marine and Army Guard member was sentenced to 13 years in prison on weapons and drug charges, after being accused of planning a massacre against… Nancy Pelosi And other Democrats and journalists.