By IRNA,
Berlin : Germany is to deploy 600 troops to assist in guarding next week’s NATO summit, the government announced Wednesday in a written response following a parliamentary inquiry.
Their tasks would focus on providing medical aid and helping thwart potential attacks by weapons of mass destruction against the high-profile meeting of the western military alliance which is to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
German combat jets are also to patrol the airspace over the location of the NATO summit in addition to NATO AWACS surveillance planes.
More than 20,000 people are expected to take to the streets of the German town of Baden-Baden and the French city of Strasbourg, both of them being venues for hosting the NATO summit, to demonstrate against the controversial western military
pact.
The aim is to prevent the summit which is slated for April 3 and 4, according to protest organizers.
There are also plans for mass demonstrations and blockades.
Two major camps, hosting up to 18,500 anti-NATO protesters, will be set up in Strasbourg and its neighboring German town of Kehl.
A broad spectrum of demonstrators, ranging from Christian to radical leftist groups, will take part in the counter-NATO demos.
More than 20,000 police are to protect the NATO summit amid mounting fears of riots and terror attacks.
German police will closely coordinate its security measures with their French counterparts to ensure a peaceful NATO summit as some 3,500 political representatives from 35 countries are expected to take part in the event.
Germany was the scene of violent demonstrations and bloody riots during the 2007 Group of Eight summit in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm.