Denmark worried about troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

reuters: Denmark said on Tuesday that Muslim protests over a Danish newspaper's cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad raised concerns for the safety of its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan but that it had no plans to withdraw them.

On the day troops from nearby Norway, which has also attracted Muslim wrath after a newspaper there reproduced the drawings, were attacked by a mob in Afghanistan, Denmark's defense minister said his troops were taking extra precautions.

"Of course it affects our soldiers both in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have to change the patterns of how they patrol and take precautions to make sure we don't put them in danger," Danish Defense Minister Soren Gade told Reuters.

"The demonstrations in Afghanistan also affect the security of our soldiers there," said Gade, adding that Denmark had not discussed withdrawing its garrison of 500 troops from Iraq or its 178-strong contingent from Afghanistan.

"We have not discussed a withdrawal of Danish troops ... but it's a serious, dangerous situation for our soldiers," he said.

A Danish patrol in Iraq came under fire on Sunday in an attack that Denmark said might have been connected to the cartoon row. Iraq's government has protested against the cartoons by freezing contracts with Denmark and Norway. Read more

db: They are probably right to worry. Time to withdraw.