Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Thursday to extend Denmark's military mission in Iraq by another six months, a departure from some other European nations that want to withdraw troops. The six-month tour for 525 Danish soldiers in Basra, 250 miles southeast of Baghdad, was to expire next month. The Danish contingent is under British command. In another vote — the lawmakers increased to 225 from 50 the number of Danish soldiers serving in Afghanistan and also extended their tour by six months.
Several countries in the U.S.-led coalition have said they want to end or reduce their missions in Iraq in the next few months, including Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. But in a 92-15 vote, lawmakers backed the two-party governing coalition's bill to extend the Danish contingent's mandate through June. Seventy-two lawmakers were absent. "It is time that we stop the terror that prevents the reconstruction of Iraq," said Ulrik Kragh of the governing Liberal Party to explain why the Danish presence in Iraq was needed. Those supporting the bill included the opposition Social Democrats, the small center Radical Party and the Danish People's Party, a government ally. Only the left-wing parties in the 179-seat Folketing, or parliament, opposed the extension. |