 The German cabinet Wednesday approved the deployment of Tornado jets for surveillance operations with NATO forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Tornado pilots would be authorized to provide intelligence for NATO attacks on Taliban formations, Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said. But they would not be allowed to use their bombs or missiles to carry out attacks, government sources told dpa. Parliament needs to approve the mission, which would signal a deepening military commitment by Germany in the region. But approval is considered a formality given the huge majority enjoyed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's government in the Bundestag. Deputies are scheduled to discuss the issue in March. Once the vote is taken the first Tornados could arrive in Afghanistan by early April. Government sources said about six Tornado reconnaissance planes would be operate across the entire country, taking aerial pictures of Tailban positions and passing the information on to other NATO partners who would carry out strikes against the Taliban. |