Germany refuses US request for more military aid against ISIS

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday brushed off what Germany magazine Der Spiegel said was a request from US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter for a bigger German military contribution to the war on the Islamic State. "I believe Germany is fulfilling its part and we don't need to talk about new issues related to this question at the moment," Merkel told the ZDF broadcaster. A week ago, Merkel gained parliamentary approved for a German mission to Syria. It includes six Tornado reconnaissance jets, a frigate to protect the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, refueling aircraft and up to 1,200 troops.

DEBKAfile: The chancellor is against German planes conducting air strikes in Syria besides surveillance missions. A substantial number of German military advisers are posted n the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital of Irbil training Kurdish peshmerga battling the Islamic State.