[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> this is dw news live from berlin. tonight, the fight against islamic state. plans to send troops, aircraft, and a warship into the syrian conflict zone. critics say there is no political strategy to go with the weapons. also coming up on the show, tens of thousands are fleeing boko haram in nigeria. ce they reh safety, many refugees are met with suicion. we'll have team coverage and an exclusive rort.

and at the climate summit in paris, more aches for africa. we willake you to chad, the country that is literally drying up in a nonstop dught. i'm brent goff. good to have you with us. significant additions to the battle plans and the fight against what is known as the islamic state. the pentagon will deploy specialized force to iraq the quick and authorized to launch attacks with or without the help of local troops. unilateral operations is the buzzword. a first for the u.s. in this conflict. germany is now joining the military campaign against the islamic state. they said yesterday to sending troops, aircraft, and a warship.

is there a winning strategy in all of this? we begin with all of this report. reporter: the aim is to provide reconnaissance. the mandate will include up to 1200 soldiers. specially equipped nato airplanes to investigate targets. a frigate to protect the aircraft and germany will provide air to air refueling capacities. the mutual defense tools form the legal basis for the operation. the mandate will be decided for one year as is usually the case. experts warn against underestimating the likely duration of the mission.

troops from the west were deployed there for 15 years. in this case, they expected it to go on for longer. they say the government has no clear strategy. opposition members of parliament feel under pressure to decide at short notice. we don't question the solidarity to france. but it doesn't mean one does not follow proper procedures. solidarity could also mean to point out that they may be making a mistake. the german government says it is simultaneously striving for a political solution. as long as civil war rages in syria, they say it is i.s. at profits. brent: the military game plan is

changing in the fight against islamic state in germany and in the united states. a transatlantic look at the new strategy. we are joined by the retired colonel who was one of the architects of the post-cold war german military. in and in washington, richard walker is standing by has been monitoring events happening in washington, particularly at the pentagon today. and germany is becoming a military player in the fight against isis. is it going to make a difference? >> germany sends a strong signal of solidarity to rant and a strong signal that europe is able to respond to a terrorist threat and in military terms, of course it makes a difference.

germany has also been a part of the political coalition for some time. the germany was training the peshmerga against the isis threat. it makes a significant military difference because germany wants to provide military assets. brent: as a military man, do you think what was decided today by the cabinet is enough? critics say there is not a strategy. >> i think what germany decided is much more than was expected. it makes germany -- it makes a significant contribution to the war by providing reconnaissance assets that can make the bombing

campaign more precise, more direct, more immediate. and it will, of course, improve the picture on the ground. what is important is to embed it in a political strategy. >> you would give your blessing to what was approved today? >> absolutely, but you should not just look at the contribution. it is a signal of solidarity and it is a big change in the policies of germany. >> and some people are saying what we have been seeing happening today in washington, the announcement coming from the pentagon. are we looking at the obama syria i.s. policy finally crystallizing?

>> we have seen barack obama's top two military officials and chairman joint chiefs of staff on capitol hill testifying about the strategy against the islamic state. they say that they are taking new steps to intensify and adapt the military campaign. and the most tangible announcement related to special forces in iraq. let's take a quick look. >> we are deploying a specialized expeditionary targeting horse to assist iraqi and kurdish peshmerga first is to put more pressure on i sold. -- isil. it will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture leaders.

this force will also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations in syria. >> we do not know how large that forces going to be. there's no word on how that force is going to be. it could be around 200. it comes after 50 special forces were sent into syria. it does look like the most aggressive ground force that barack obama has so far. does this amount to a new strategy? i think it really doesn't. it is an incremental step. you had the chairman of the joint chiefs talking about this kind of move as a possibility as the campaign went ahead. brent: a small, incremental step. what has changed is that the

pentagon is saying that you have american forces that can act unilaterally. that is new. it isn't that complicating the mission even further from a military standpoint? >> it is complicated because we have so many states that want to pursue different interest. once important is to coordinate the military action on the ground and embed the political strategy that can work. germany is not thinking about forces on the ground, for example. brent: the opposition says there is no political strategy. known can tell you what it's going to happen if coalition forces come face-to-face with a sod. no one is going to tell you that there is a guaranteed answer to the question. what will happen to him?

>> nobody can forecast the exact outcome but they can do the military action that is absolutely necessary to destroy isis at its power center. it can work. and what we have seen is that the international support group for syria has made efforts so far, the first time in the civil war to unite and fight isis despite all the different interest. brent: president obama is approaching the end of his term. isn't there a feeling in washington that everyone is kind of like hurry up and wait for a new administration to come in and then to do something? >> the criticism has been that he has not been prepared to

present a successful strategy to defeat the islamic state. and as we were saying, it doesn't look like a great new strategy. insisting that they do it. and trying to harness what he calls capable and motivated local forces to seize territory from the islamic state and hold it. on the political front as you were just mentioning, he said the diplomatic efforts are the first and absolutely critical line of effort in our strategy. quite strong language on that. brent: this decision today made by the cabinet, does that mean german soldiers could fall on a battlefield in syria?

>> absolutely. we can never exclude that. even if eyelets are in a relatively safe setting, anything can happen. it means germany also provided search and rescue services to return those pilots if something goes wrong. but the risk is limited in germany as well. they are not inclined to send ground forces. we have to have a cease-fire first and unite the syrians against this threat. brent: richard, thank you. we certainly appreciate your time and your insights. tens of thousands of people are on the run from bo boko haram in nigeria. many have fled across borders to neighboring cameroon, chad, and i share -- niger.

a number of suicide bombings in the city has changed the safety nets. >> we meet in a small courtyard. he lives with 30 other refugees as they lovingly call their host. this is been a lifesaver, but he has been feeling increasingly uncomfortable in the city center. >> i feel bad because maybe they will think that i commit something like a bomb or weapons. >> more than 10,000 people have come to the provincial capital, fleeing islamist terror. they can live in relative safety but the city has been the target of several suicide bombs. the mood toward the refugees has shifted.

>> we do not trust them. they are not with us. their faces are new. you do not know if they are terrorists are not. >> i do not know where we are. to take out of their control, it's them. >> it is impossible to avoid discussions about how terrorists might have mixed themselves among the refugees. brent: you're watching dw news live from berlin. hammering out a deal to fight climate change, many countries are feeling the impact of rising temperatures and extreme droughts. they are struggling to feed their own people.

we will have a report from one of the worst hit countries. chad. and gerhart will have the business news in 60 seconds.

brent: take her aircraft and fighting the jihadist in serious combat missions. negotiations aimed at getting a new deal to tackle climate change. a part of today's focus, it can

happen quickly enough. threatening the ability to feed. >> climate change is hitting this part of the world particularly hard. the dry spells have become longer. the impact on small farms is immense. they can no longer feed their families. many are compelled to flee their homeland. millions of people have become climate refugees, not only in africa. >> it is critical for all humanity because climate change effects all of us. rich, poor, large and small countries. and all regions of the world. there is no greater evidence of

the impact than the sahara desert. and the shrinking. >> it has shrunk drastically. delegates are quick to point out that their countries were not part of the process that has led to global climate change. >> the least commit or of greenhouse gases in the world now suffers from climate change. it is almost gone. we must not abandon africa. africa has been shortchanged by climate change. africa must not be shortchanged by climate finance. >> it germany has pledged 3 billion euro and francis

promised to billion dollars. the french president said africa also needs to make more use of its own resources. >> there is the issue of renewable energies. africa has huge potential which remains largely unexploited. it is clear that a whole raft of measures will be needed. brent: your heart is here to give us the business news. your hgerhart: the german energy giant has announced a big shakeup and a transportation of the energy market requires it to make tough decisions. it is putting itself into two companies. one that is clean and green.

the advisory board still has to approve the plans. >> one of the biggest energy businesses. the company is deeply rooted in the valley. germany's coal mining district. the energy powerhouse is been going through some tough times. the shift towards green energy has pushed down prices. so they want to embark on radical restructuring. the core business will remain fossil fuels. it plans to take a slice of the current operations and turn it into a new subsidiary. they say the aim is to allow renewable energy businesses to raise money separately. a stock market listing is slated for next year. the restructuring is a further sign that the energy market is

responding. >> there has been a lot of discussion about the impact of the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees on the economy. experts say it will be a while before any effect are noticeable. they show that joblessness is down from years ago. >> it meant work on construction sites could continue and fewer builders than expected lost their jobs. it is one possible explanation for the unemployment figures. 2.6 million people were registered as unemployed in germany. the overall jobless rate is 6%. the number of people at work in those making social security

contributions have seen a marked rise. the man for new employees has increased. the labor market is ready for the challenges ahead. they say the impact won't be felt until 2017. the picture is also improving in the eurozone as a whole where one million you are -- fewer people are out of work than this time last year. at 10.7 percent, it's at the lowest point in four years. >> the employment picture for outer european countries remains spotty. the spanish economy might be improving thanks to political reforms in the wake of the credit crisis that unemployment there remains above 20%.

the outlook is particularly bleak for young people, many who are finding alternative ways to keep busy in the prime of their lives. >> she barely has a moment to catch her breath. she is organizing interviews, speaking with, and taking care of djs and performers. her internship is a big opportunity for her even though it is unpaid. like many others, she struggled to find work. >> the call centers are very famous. it is not happening for young people.

>> when she meets her friends after work, most say they are envious of her internship. the spanish government says the country is at the end of the recession. >> they are working as waiters and waitresses if they can. >> is not getting better. it is getting worse. >> startups work side by side. many became self-employed because there is too little at stake. they can make ready much anything, including marbles for

architects. they say the job market is anything but healthy. >> the biggest problem now is that they find jobs. they are happy because they work and their unhappy because they work for cheaper prices. >> i mentioned i was an intern. and here from barcelona, they decided to hire me. >> she will have to look for work. there must be a full-time contract waiting for her somewhere. brent: that's it for me.

we miss you. have a good evening. the english premier league club, manchester city, they are getting a big new cash injection with a consortium of chinese investors paying 375 million euros for a 13% take in the city football group privately owned by the royal family of abu dhabi. did you get all of that? it gets the value to 3 billion euros. the company also owns smaller clubs. the chinese president visited the training complex in october. they see it as a way to intensify the marketing efforts in a massive country with a growing interest in soccer. or do they call it football in china? i think the jury is still out on

that. a reminder of the top story for you. the german cabinet has approved plans. they want to send troops and a warship to fight the jihadists in syria but they say they will not get involved in combat missions. thanks for the company and we will see you again at the top of the hour.

>> hello, everyone. thanks for tuning in. it has been a packed week here in europe, so here are our favorite stories that we want to share with you on the show. we look at how architects are trying to make cities greener. swedish artist erik johansson and his surreal pictures. irish author cecilia ahern publishes her 13th book. increasing the greenery in city centers is an environmental challenge that many architects are trying to address. amongst the many projects cropping up around europe is one by italian architect, luciano