German lawmakers back Afghan reconnaissance mission

BERLIN, Mar 9 (Reuters) German lawmakers today approved 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 parliament, or Bundestag, voted to send the jets to Afghanistan, together with around 500 crew and maintenance staff, by a clear majority. Of 573 lawmakers present, 405 approved the deployment.

Germany has around 3,000 troops stationed in the country, mainly in Kabul and the relatively stable northern region. It has resisted pressure from its NATO colleagues to redeploy solders to the more dangerous south.

The jets will probably be dispatched in April. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, will likely vote on the measure later this month.

Germany has been seeking to expand its role in overseas missions in the last decade but many citizens are uncomfortable about the emergence of a strong army in a country still trying to come to terms with its Nazi past.

A German aid worker was shot dead while travelling with colleagues on a road in northern Afghanistan yesterday.

With more than 4,000 people killed, last year was the bloodiest in Afghanistan since US-led forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001.

REUTERS DKA KN1835