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Full Iraq Withdrawal Urged in Denmark
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many Danes believe their government should not continue to participate in the coalition effort, according to a poll by Catinét Research released by Ritzau. 47.9 per cent of respondents support withdrawing all of Denmark's troops from Iraq immediately, while 38.6 per cent disagree.
Denmark currently has 529 soldiers in Iraq, most of them serving under British command in the southern city of Basra. In April, foreign minister Per Stig Moeller announced the extension of the troop mandate until February 2006. 45.6 per cent of respondents believe the government was right to joint the campaign in Iraq, while 45.7 per cent disagree.
In last February's legislative election, the Left, Liberal Party of Denmark (V) of prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen received 29 per cent of the vote and elected 52 lawmakers to the People's Diet—four less than in the 2001 ballot. The governing centre-right coalition remained in place with the support of 92 legislators.
In July, Rasmussen explained his government's rationale during a meeting with U.S. president George W. Bush, declaring, "We do not accept the thesis that certain peoples and nations are not yet ready for democracy. (...) This is why Denmark contributes with more than 500 troops in Iraq; why we make an active contribution to the joint allied effort in Afghanistan; why we wish to promote democracy and reform in the Middle East; and why we urge all parties to find a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict."
Polling Data
Would you support or oppose withdrawing all of Denmark's troops from Iraq immediately?
Support | 47.9% |
Oppose | 38.6% |
Not sure | 13.5% |
Was the government's decision to join the campaign in Iraq right or wrong?
Right | 45.6% |
Wrong | 45.7% |
Not sure | 8.7% |
Source: Catinét Research / Ritzau
Methodology: Interviews to 1,055 Dane adults, conducted in August 2005. Margin of error is 2.8 per cent.