BONN - The German parliament voted March 25 to approve the deployment of up to 300 soldiers to support NATO's AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) planes over Afghanistan.
The Bundestag vote, by a tally of 407-113, followed Germany's abstention from the U.N. Security Council's vote on March 17 to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. Germany will not take part in military missions in Libya.
"Because we have decided this, we have therefore [decided] to withdraw our mission as part of AWACS" aircraft that are operating in the Mediterranean, said Secretary of State Guido Westerwelle.
This move is a sign that Germany will not be neutral and does not want to endanger its allies in Libya, he said. Without the German presence in Afghanistan, NATO would not have been able to operate its AWACS planes in the Mediterranean, he said.
Germany withdrew its naval vessels from alliance operations in the Mediterranean a couple of days ago, after NATO decided to enforce a weapons embargo against Libya. A frigate, a minehunter and a reconnaissance vessel with about 300 sailors are still in the Mediterranean, but now under national command.
The AWACS mandate is scheduled to run until Jan. 31, 2012, and as long as there is a mandate of the U.N. Security Council.
The Bundestag vote, by a tally of 407-113, followed Germany's abstention from the U.N. Security Council's vote on March 17 to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. Germany will not take part in military missions in Libya.
"Because we have decided this, we have therefore [decided] to withdraw our mission as part of AWACS" aircraft that are operating in the Mediterranean, said Secretary of State Guido Westerwelle.
This move is a sign that Germany will not be neutral and does not want to endanger its allies in Libya, he said. Without the German presence in Afghanistan, NATO would not have been able to operate its AWACS planes in the Mediterranean, he said.
Germany withdrew its naval vessels from alliance operations in the Mediterranean a couple of days ago, after NATO decided to enforce a weapons embargo against Libya. A frigate, a minehunter and a reconnaissance vessel with about 300 sailors are still in the Mediterranean, but now under national command.
The AWACS mandate is scheduled to run until Jan. 31, 2012, and as long as there is a mandate of the U.N. Security Council.
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