GERMANY / FILE: German lawmakers approve sending six Tornado reconnaissance jets to Afghanistan, meeting a NATO request to help boost intelligence gathering ahead of an expected spring offensive by insurgents

Lawmakers in the lower house of the German parliament on Friday (March 9), voted to send six Tornado jets to Afghanistan meeting a NATO request to help boost intelligence gathering ahead of an expected spring offensive by insurgents. The aircraft would be supported by around 500 crew and maintenance staff. The vote was carried by a clear majority. Of 573 lawmakers present, 405 approved the deployment. But lawmakers who voted against the move said they feared the deployment could make Germany a target. "If the Tornados find the targets that will be bombed later we obviously subject ourselves to terror attacks as well," said Gregor Gysi, head of the Opposition (Die Linke) Party, adding "It's clear that that a war against terror does not help against one thing: terrorism." Germany already has around 3,000 troops stationed in the country, mainly in Kabul and the relatively stable northern region, but it has resisted pressure from its NATO colleagues to redeploy soldiers to the more dangerous south. The approval for the mission had been widely expected and the jets will probably be dispatched in April. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, will likely vote on the measure later this month. Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung told reporters after the vote that the decision meant "a good basis for this mission, a strong support for our soldiers." "I'm very happy with this result. It shows that all parties -- the Christian Democrats (of Chancellor Angela Merkel), the SPD (Social Democrats), but also the (opposititon) FDP (Free Democrats) and the Greens voted with the majority," Jung said. Asked whether Germany might be faced with requests for a more active role in Afghanistan, especially in the country's unstable south, Jung responded: "Our reconaissance Tornados make a considerable contribution towards intelligence gathering and in my view, we are therefore creating conditions to guarantee safety and encourage development." "I made clear -- and the colleagues underlined this -- how important the German contribution with those recce Tornados is, especially in the north (of Afghanistan) and in Kabul. So I don't have to assume that further demands will come our way," Jung said.

ITN Source | March 10, 2007

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