Germany seeks to dispatch 1,200 troops to support anti-ISIS coalition

Germany's chief of staff said Sunday that his country is seeking to dispatch 1,200 troops by the end of December to support anti-ISIS operations in the Middle East. In a German newspaper report, Volker Wieker said the proposed dispatch, which requires parliamentary approval, would include a frigate to assist in the refueling of coalition planes. He also said negotiations are underway with Ankara and Amman regarding the possible participation of German Tornado aircraft in reconnaissance missions.
Meanwhile, in a commentary for the newspaper, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen called for the establishment of a coalition to "weaken ISIS, to limit its freedom for maneuver, to destroy its training camps, to win back city by city, destroy its oil revenue and break the aura of invincibility."
The proposed dispatch comes after Chancellor Angela Merkel told French President Francois Hollande that Germany will support the military operations against ISIS in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Paris.