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COPENHAGEN -- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said yesterday that the furor over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad had "strengthened our resolve for the long haul" and that Danish troops would remain in Iraq. In an interview with The Washington Times in his Copenhagen office, Mr. Rasmussen brushed off a Danish television report of plans to cut Denmark's 530-man deployment in Iraq by nearly one-fifth in July. "It is clearly our intention to stay in Iraq as long as we are requested by the Iraqi government, as long as our presence is based on a U.N. mandate, and as...

U.S. President George W. Bush called Denmark's prime minister on Tuesday to voice support for the Nordic country, whose embassies are the target of violent protests over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. "I am happy to inform you that just a few minutes ago, President Bush called me to express support and solidarity with Denmark in the light of the violence against Danish and other diplomatic missions," said Prime Minister Rasmussen. "We agreed that the way ahead is through dialogue and tolerance, not violence," Rasmussen told a news conference.

COPENHAGEN -- A musical about the Iraq war, Let's Kick Ass!, was to open in Copenhagen on Thursday, featuring a satirical depiction of US President George W. Bush and his faithful ally in Iraq, Danish Premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Let's Kick Ass!, a reference to a Bush quote, is an adaptation of British musical Follow My Leader by Alistair Beaton, which targets Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "Like 'Oh, What A Lovely War', which was a reaction to the madness of the First World War, this is an attempt to react to Denmark's participation in a war of...

Denmark's Liberal-Conservative government and the opposition's Social Democrats agree on continuing Danish military presence in Iraq. Danish military reports of increased Iraqi trust towards its soldiers Denmark's military presence in Iraq is faring well both at home and on the front, daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende reported Thursday. The Liberal-Conservative government agrees with the Social Democrats, the largest opposition party, that the troops' stay in Iraq should be extended when it expires in June. Their tasks, however, will be aimed in a more humanitarian direction than now. Henrik Lyhne, chief of the Danish battalion in Basra, said the local population had...

Denmark´s 500-strong military force in Iraq was rotated out this weekend after a six-month tour of duty. A new 500-strong contingent of Danish soldiers has been stationed in Iraq to relief the troops staying there for the last six months. The new troops will be stationed at Camp Danevang, located within the confines of the British Shaiba Log Base in the Shia Muslim dominated southern Iraq. Despite roadside bombs and occasional shootings, the region has remained relatively peaceful, and no Danes have been seriously injured in clashes with Iraqis. The old contingent was responsible for monitoring the Iraqi election. Colonel...

Bush Thanks Denmark for Troops, Pledges Iraq's Sovereignty By Gene HarperAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 28, 2004 – President Bush thanked Denmark for its troop support to Operation Iraqi Freedom during Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen's visit to the White House today. "The moms and dads of those troops need to know they're performing brilliantly," Bush said. "They're good, strong soldiers who bring great credit to your country." Rasmussen confirmed Denmark's commitment in Iraq. "We will stay and finish our job," he said. "Our common goal is to assist the Iraqi people in building a new, modern and...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Danish Defense Minister Svend Aage Jensby said Friday he was resigning after lawmakers questioned pre-war intelligence reports on Saddam Hussein's possession of weapons of mass destruction. Denmark supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq and has 496 troops there under British command in the southern cities of Basra and Qurnah. Jensby has been defense minister under Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen since November 2001. Jensby notified Fogh Rasmussen Friday after the prime minister returned from a trip to the United States, then announced his decision in a written statement. Lawmakers have questioned the military's reports on Saddam's weapons...

16:09 - 22.04.2004 Denmark Plans for Larger Role in Iraq COPENHAGEN(BGNES)- Denmark's 510 troops could expand their role in Iraq, the Danish army said on Thursday in a boost to the U.S.-led coalition being abandoned by other allies in the face of violence. Under the army plan, Denmark's 510 troops already based in southern Iraq would begin sharing control also around Basra -- in cooperation with British troops there. Army spokesman Christian Soerensen said the plan would be presented to Defence Minister Svend Aage Jensby on Thursday. "It's still something we're considering at the moment, but our decision will depend...

Whilst many countries are in the process of withdrawing their troops from Iraq, Denmark is considering a marked increase in its Iraqi engagement, as the Iraqi government takes over the control in the country june 30th. The Army's Operational Command, HOK, is currently negotiating with British coalition forces in Southern Iraq over a massive increase of the Danish area of responsibility from the current area north of Basra to including the entire area down to the Kuwaiti border, except for Basra proper which will remain under British command. The the main Danish base, Camp Eden, would be moved to the...

The Danish businessman kidnapped in Iraq has been found dead, the country's Foreign Ministry has announced. The man's body was discovered by Iraqi police on April 12 - the day after he was reported missing. He was snatched by unknown attackers while travelling on a road near the village of Al Taji outside Baghdad. Details about how he died or where was found were not immediately available. The kidnap victim has been named by one Danish tabloid as 35-year-old Henrik Frandsen from Copenhagen. It said he was in the country to open a water purification and electrical appliance store in...

COPENHAGEN, March 17 (Reuters) - Denmark's prime minister said on Wednesday his country would not cave in to pressure from "terrorists" by pulling its 500 troops out of Iraq. "The government has no plans to withdraw Danish forces from Iraq. That would be a victory for the terrorists and be a fatal signal that terrorism pays," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a debate in parliament. Spain's incoming socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged to withdraw his country's 1,300 troops from Iraq by July 1 if the United Nations does not take charge there. Zapatero ousted Prime Minister Jose...

The government announces readiness for US-led war in Iraq; parliament expected to issue its decision later today The Danish government is prepared for the nation to participate in a US-led war in Iraq. So said Social Democratic leader Mogens Lykketoft, Radical Liberal leader Marianne Jelved, and her party colleague, former Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen, after today's meeting in the Prime Minister's Office. After US President George W. Bush delivered a 48-hour ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein late Monday evening, Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen indicated that parliament would shortly make its decision on eventual Danish participation in an...

DENMARK is to send a submarine, a corvette and crack troops to participate in any war against Iraq, opposition leaders said after talks with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Rasmussen, whose liberal-conservative governing coalition has been a supporter of Washington's stance on Iraq, had already decided on the country's contribution to a war before the meeting, they said. "The government presented us with a fait accompli," Marianne Jelved, head of the Radical party, told reporters. "It is odd that the government should summon the opposition for talks when the decision on the Danish participation has already been taken," added Social...

COPENHAGEN -- The Danish government supports the U.S.-British Security Council draft resolution giving Iraq until March 17 to disarm or face a war, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday. "It is positive that the weapons inspectors have signaled some progress, such as the destruction of missiles, but that does not resolve the international community's problem that Saddam Hussein does not respect the demands of the UN Security Council when it comes to disarming," Rasmussen told reporters. "Iraq is only cooperating a little, cooperating only under pressure and at the last minute," he added. He said it was essential...