Germany seeks quicker removal of extremists from military

BERLIN (AP) — The German defense ministry has announced plans to make it easier to dismiss suspected extremists from the military without lengthy disciplinary proceedings. The change has been in the works for months, but Tuesday’s announcement followed the uncovering last week of an alleged coup plot in which more than 20 people linked to the far-right Reich Citizens movement were detained. Those arrested included a soldier serving on the support staff for Germany’s special forces. The defense minister said draft legislation foresees a “lack of loyalty to the constitution” as grounds for dismissal. She added that it would allow authorities to speed up what can be a lengthy process to remove extremists from the military.