On Wednesday in a speech to the German parliament, Merkel pledged solidarity with France, both in mourning the 130 people killed in the November 13 attacks and in France’s fight against Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the killings.
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Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Paris on Wednesday and was asked by French President Francois Hollande to do “even more” in the fight against the militants, who have seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
“When the French president asks me to think about what more we can do, then it is our duty to reflect on this and we will also react very quickly here”, she said in Paris.
Otte said that “the ISIS can only be defeated militarily, therefore no idea must be ruled out as we engage in the fight against Islamist terrorism”.
The German government said on Thursday it will deploy Tornado reconnaissance jets, refuelling aircraft and a frigate to the region. The announcement comes as the French president visits Moscow.
The government had agreed on “difficult but correct and necessary steps”, said von der Leyen at a press conference in the Reichstag building, flanked by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Bundestag is expected to vote on the document by the end of the year, Reuters reported, citing German officials.
Germany plans to send a Tornado reconnaissance aircraft to Syria to take part in the war against Daesh.
“There are risks. It is a risky operation, no doubt”.
More soldiers from the Bundeswehr (German army) will also join 100 men already on the ground in northern Iraq, where they are training Kurdish Peshmerga fighters to use tens of millions of euros’ worth of German-supplied weapons. The leader of the opposition Left Party, Sarah Wagenknecht, denounced that move by saying that it would provoke terrorists to carry out terrorist attacks in Germany.
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“France was struck to the bone by the horrific attacks by the IS but we know that this inhumane rage can hit us or other societies at any time too”, said Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, announcing the support.
