Jyllands-Posten: “DPP applies pressure”
Jyllands-Posten, February 14, 2006
By Mads Stenstrup, Puk Damsgård Andersen and Anne Mette Svane
Coalition supporting Danish presence in Iraq turns wobbly. DPP demands statement of support for Danish presence from the government of Iraq. DPP also demands investigation of the crisis.
The Danish Peoples Party will demand an investigation of how the 12 cartoons in Jyllands-Posten could escalate to create the worst international crisis in newer times for Denmark at an upcoming meeting of the Committee for Foreign Affairs.
The investigation is in particular meant to throw light on which role the Danish Imams and Egypt’s Embassador to Denmark, Mona Omar, had in the matter.
"We want a thorough investigantion of how things could get so out of control as to endanger the reputation of Denmark abroad. We see that the Imams and the Egyptian Embassador have played a central role and we need clarity about who created this escalation," says DPP spokesman on Foreign Affairs Peter Skaarup.
But DPP can’t muster the majority needed for an investigation. Both the Social Democrats and the Liberal Party deny the need for an investigation.
"Eventually we need an investigation or evaluation of the events leading up but I think that it is untimely at this juncture where all efforts must be directed at putting the crisis to rest," says the spokesman for the Social Democrats Jeppe Kofod.
Liberals concour
The spokesman for the Liberals Troels Lund Poulsen is of the same opinion.
But the Danish government agreed with the DPP, who for more than a week has demanded a show of support from the government of Iraq, that now might be the time.
On a meeting of the Comittee for Foreign Affairs a statement from the city council of Basra was the object of discussion. Danish troops are no longer welcome unless they apologize for the cartoons, was the ultimatum from the local authorities in Basra. This has led the Danish government to request a clear position from the government of Iraq.
Pia Kjærsgaard, leader of the DPP, said after the meeting:
"It is not acceptable and therefore we have asked for clear and undivided support from the Iraqi government."
According to information obtained by Jyllands-Posten it has caused great irritation that the Danish government didn’t take serious DPPs threat to withdraw support for the Danish presence in Iraq last week.
The Iraqi minister for Transportation has stated that Iraq will not accept Danish money for rebuilding effort. The Foreign Minister of Iraq denied this to Per Stig Møller, the Danish Foreign Minister.
Doing their job
The 530 Danish soldier in Iraq are quartered near Basra but yesterday neither the Danish force nor military officials in Denmark could confirm the statement from the city council. Public Relations Officer Hans Vedholm from Army Operationol Command says nothing has changed for the Danish force:
"The force has experienced no change in the threat picture the last couple of days and normal operations continue so far."
