Investigation: US Army Turned Blind Eye to Neo-Nazi Recruits Due to Troop Shortages
Middle East Eye
British journalist Matt Kennard reveals the US military deliberately allowed neo-Nazis, gang members, and the mentally ill to enlist during the War on Terror due to troop shortages. Kennard's book, Irregular Army, exposes how a moral waiver program and the Rumsfeld doctrine prioritized quantity over quality, with commanders viewing extremism as a asset.
In an interview with Real Talk, British investigative journalist Matt Kennard disclosed shocking findings about the US military's tolerance of neo-Nazi recruits.
Kennard, co-founder of Declassified UK and author of Irregular Army, said: “One person told me: My commander liked that I was a Nazi. They thought it made me a better fighter.”
His book investigates how the US military, facing severe personnel shortages during the War on Terror, began overlooking factors that once disqualified soldiers—such as neo-Nazi tattoos, gang ties, or mental illness.
According to Kennard, the “moral waiver programme” opened the door for convicted criminals to enlist. He also points to the Rumsfeld doctrine as a catalyst for this policy, which prioritized troop quantity over quality to meet battlefield needs.
In conversation with host Mohamed Hashem, Kennard detailed his interviews with openly neo-Nazi veterans and analyzed the long-term consequences of harboring extremists within the US armed forces.
