German lawmakers to discuss support for France in IS fight

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was initially celebrated at home and overseas for her welcoming approach to the refugees, many of whom are fleeing conflict in the Middle East. But as the flow has continued the chancellor has come under increasing criticism.

Earlier, the French and German leaders each laid a pink rose among the tributes of flowers and candles in Place de la Republique, the Paris square that has become a rallying point since the bloodshed.

Thomson ReutersGerman Chancellor Merkel addresses a session of the German lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in BerlinBERLIN (Reuters) – Lawmakers from Germany’s ruling parties will meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss how Berlin can provide more support to France in the fight against Islamic State militants following the deadly attacks in Paris.

The event, to be attended by victims’ families and those wounded in the attacks and described as “the most solemn, the most republican that could be chosen” will include a speech by Hollande. The French president welcomed this move.

The Socialist leader who called for an global coalition to uproot militants, urged Germany to “engage further in the fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq”, Xinhua news agency reported.

The minister told VRT network that “otherwise, you don’t impose terror level 4”, the highest possible level when the threat is assessed as “serious and imminent”.

France invoked a clause requiring European Union member states to provide military assistance after the November 13 attacks in Paris, when 130 people lost their lives in a wave of killings by suicide bombers and gunmen claimed by ISIL. Authorities detained 16 people, but released all but one of them the following day. The raids yielded no explosives or firearms and the Paris fugitive Salah Abdeslam remained at large.

One of Abdeslam’s brothers, Brahim, blew himself up outside a Paris cafe during the attacks. His other brother, Mohamed, appealed on French media Wednesday for his fugitive sibling to surrender to police.

He said 120,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers are deployed across the country to assure France’s security.

She countered politicians in some countries who have warned that the refugee crisis has exposed problems in Europe’s Schengen passport-free area, saying that states must develop it further by agreeing on migrant quotas.

“Europe must find ways to ensure that migrants are dealt with in the countries neighbouring Syria”.

Emergency measures have also been taken in France while the manhunt continues.