GERMANY: Parliament Votes To Support ISIS Fight

The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of supporting the fight against ISIS. TIME reports:

Members of Germany’s Parliament approved Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plan to send forces to Syria in support of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Friday. Germany will deploy 1,200 troops as part of the one-year mission, which is projected to cost $142 million, al-Jazeera reports. Germany will also send six military jets, a refueling aircraft and a frigate. The aim of the mission is to bolster the international coalition, rather than engage in active combat. The lawmakers approved the measures by 445 votes to 146.

More from the CNN:



Germany’s post-World War II constitution hinders it in participating in battles on foreign soil. So, it can’t commit to airstrikes. But it can enhance its military support role. It can, for instance, deploy high-tech intelligence jets over Syria and northern Iraq to help other countries’ forces pinpoint targets. The German Cabinet approved the military support mission against ISIS in Syria this week. The vote was widely seen as a rubber-stamping of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s recent commitment to France, which asked allies to do more to fight ISIS.