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Danish evacuation of Iraqis complete
Denmark has completed the evacuation of some 200 Iraqis who it feared faced danger for their association with Danish troops in southern Iraq. A final group of 80 Iraqis has arrived in Denmark, joining 120 already there. The airlift of the Iraqis, including translators for Danish troops, had so far been kept secret for security reasons, a Danish official said. Most of the 200 evacuated Iraqis are expected to be offered asylum in Denmark. Denmark is expected to withdraw its group of 480 troops from Basra in southern Iraq next month. Military spokesman Lt-Cdr Nils Markussen said the initiative had come from Danish soldiers serving in Iraq. "The signal we want to send is that we of course take care of our employees if the business they have been doing for us is putting them into danger," Cdr Markussen said. Cdr Markussen said the evacuation had been kept low profile "in order not to target them further". He also said he believed other countries with troops in Iraq had carried out similar evacuations. A heated public debate preceded Denmark's decision to arrange the evacuation, with the government eventually reaching a deal with the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party. Posted by: lotp 2007-07-23 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=194214 |