German parliament renews anti-terrorist mandate

BERLIN, Nov 10 (Reuters) Germany's parliament voted TOday to extend for another year its mandate to participate in US-led counterterrorism missions off the Horn of Africa and in the Mediterranean.

In the vote, 436 members of parliament voted in favour and 101 against a mandate for German forces to continue taking part in ''Enduring Freedom'' missions. There were 26 abstentions.

Lawmakers also voted to reduce the maximum number of soldiers allowed to be deployed in the missions to 1,800 from 2,800.

Under ''Enduring Freedom'' some 335 German naval personnel are helping to secure the seas off the Horn of Africa. A further 190 are involved in Operation ''Active Endeavour'', policing the Mediterranean.

The vote also permits up to 100 elite KSK special forces to be sent to Afghanistan.

The mandate is separate from Germany's peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan where German soldiers are working in the NATO-led peacekeeping mission.

Germany, keen to shake off its Nazi legacy, has been seeking to expand its role in overseas missions in the last decade although many Germans are uneasy about the emergence of a strong army.

REUTERS SP PM1629