BERLIN, March 9 (UPI) -- Germany's Parliament has agreed to a controversial deployment of reconnaissance planes to Afghanistan, but two lawmakers will take the decision to court.
Parliament Friday signed off on government plans to send eight Panavia Tornado reconnaissance aircraft -- six in constant flying, with two back-up planes -- and roughly 500 additional soldiers to Afghanistan to aid the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
Of 573 lawmakers, 405 voted for the deployment, 157 against, and 11 abstained.
The Tornados are tasked with identifying potential targets for ISAF and the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom, and will relay back to mission control highly detailed photos of the ground in Afghanistan. The jets could arrive in Afghanistan as early as April 5, according to media reports.
Two members of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives announced after the positive vote they will file suit against the mission, which they claim involves "direct war actions," with Germany's Supreme Court. Observers say it is unlikely the suit will be successful.
Germany currently has around 3,000 soldiers stationed with ISAF, but they are confined to relatively peaceful northern Afghanistan. Germany has led the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the north, and has been very successful in building up infrastructure, schools and other municipal institutions.
Nevertheless, Berlin has previously come under criticism from NATO officials for confining its troops to the north while the death toll in the south is rising. In light of the expected spring offensive of the Taliban, the Tornados are a much-needed support for the U.S., Canadian, Dutch and other soldiers fighting in the south.
Observers say the German government is eager to prove to its allies it wants to provide additional aid in Afghanistan. The deployment of reconnaissance planes is seen as a relatively safe way to do so, at least when it comes to human casualties.
