AfD Leader Says 'Not All SS Were Nazis' in Interview

Subhead: Krah's Remarks Draw Condemnation from Le Pen's Party

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BERLIN - The leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Jörg Krah, has sparked outrage after saying in an interview that "not everyone who wore an SS uniform was automatically a Nazi." The comments, made to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, come amid growing scrutiny of the AfD's ties to neo-Nazis and other far-right groups.

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Krah's remarks drew immediate condemnation from Marine Le Pen's National Rally party in France, which has close ties to the AfD. Le Pen's party called Krah's comments "unacceptable" and said that they "disqualify the AfD from any cooperation with democrats." The tensions between Le Pen's party and the AfD escalated on Tuesday when Krah said in an interview with La Repubblica that he would never apologize for his comments, even if they offended Le Pen.

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The AfD has been under increasing pressure in recent months due to its alleged ties to extremist groups. In December, the German government launched a probe into the party's alleged links to Russia, and in February, the party's co-leader was forced to resign after being accused of making anti-Semitic statements. Krah's comments are likely to further damage the AfD's reputation and make it more difficult for the party to gain political support.