the threat to Denmark?

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday July 19, 2005 15:45 by -

Can the danish breed danish suicide bombers or fanatical muslim converts? Or are they safe?

According to Danish tradition, the weather on one's birthday indicates whether one has been naughty or nice throughout the year. The jury is still out on US President George W. Bush. Heavy clouds blanketed the sun as his motorcade pulled up to Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's Marienborg residence for his 2005 birthday.

President Bush disappeared into the mansion to celebrate his birthday with Rasmussen, who presented him with a birthday present and a cake shaped like a Texan cowboy. At the obligatory press conference held afterward, President Bush offered his thanks to Rasmussen.

`Thanks for the cake. I can strongly recommend the Danish birthday cake to everyone,' said Bush.

After expressing his gratitude to the prime minister for Denmark's support in Iraq and in the war on terror, the president shared his feelings on the conversation topics Rasmussen brought up over breakfast, which included concerns about prisoners held at Guantanamo, aid for Africa, and new strategies for dealing with global warming.
The president ensured the prime minister and the gathered journalists that prisoners at Guantanamo were treated humanely.

`I would suggest buying an airplane ticket and going down to take a look,' said the US president.

The president agreed with Rasmussen's plan to aid Africa by combating epidemics and poverty and strengthening democracies on the continent.

With regard to the failed Kyoto Treaty, Bush acknowledged that the earth's surface was indeed growing warmer, but he had no apologies for US resistance to the climate treaty.

`It would have weakened our economy and put people out of work,' said Bush.

Instead, Bush opened the door to technological advances as a means for reducing global warming.

`No doubt about it, we will be driving a different kind of automobile in the future,' said Bush.

With a final, curt `thank you' to those gathered, Bush left with Rasmussen to attend a luncheon hosted by Queen Margrethe at Fredensborg Palace.

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on July 16th 2005 one and half months later, there was read on arabic internet, on a site which has though it asks that no "claims of responsibility be made" regularly sees "claims of responsibility made", and thus perhaps to the frustration of its readers, sees its internet service withdrawn and has to find a new adress...

The group "the Abu Hafs al Masri brigade" is one of the emergent imitative terrorist groupings with direct involvement in the post-Saddam Iraq.
They have said the warning "of one month" refers to forthcoming attacks by their "european brigade".

The statement made specific mention of Denmark. Also Italy, Belgium and the UK.

Nizar al Khazraji a former high ranking Iraqi army officer is currently in Danish custody having been tried on charges on the gassing of Kurds by the Saddam Hussein regime having left Iraq to settle in Denmark in the 1990s he was for some a possible Baathist succesor to Saddam, if Saddam had been deposed by other means than war, most anaylsts would have expected an interim government with Baathist members and of course a split on islamic lines and a Kurdish problem but an economy bolstered by trade and other contracts which would have still held.

Thankfully, the illegal occupation saw none of that.

Maj. Kent Gjedsø, the first Danish commanding officer at Camp Niebuhr, near Basra, shared his occupation sector with the British, and after complaints on the poor equipment afforded his troops (lack of sun cream, suitable clothing, and water) was replaced by Maj. Jesper Helsoe who oversaw abuse allegations including a military intelligence officer Captain Annemette Hommel and four military police sergeants.

The five were accused of abusing prisoners in the southern sector in March - June 2004 and were sent home to face an investigation.

Denmark presently has 500 troops stationed in Iraq the decision to deploy them was made by Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen the man who gave Bush his birthday cake.

Rasmussen said of his support for the US-British Security Council draft resolution in March 2003 (the motion which led to the illegal invasion of Iraq) which gave Iraq until March 17 2003 to disarm or face a war :-

"It is positive that the weapons inspectors have signalled 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,"

"Irak is only cooperating a little, cooperating only under pressure and at the last minute," he added. He said it was essential that UN Resolution 1441, which demanded that Saddam Hussein cooperate immediately, actively and unconditionally with the UN, be respected. "That has not been the case so far. As a result the government supports the draft resolution" submitted by the United States, Britain and Spain, which "sets a final deadline for Saddam Hussein to account for Iraq's weapons of massive destruction," he said..

Danish reaction to the threats made in this last week have been muted.
http://www.cphpost.dk/get/89287.html

UK thinktank reaction to the July 7 bombings.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70949