Denmark pulls all troops from Syria, Iraq to counter 'threats' at home
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Copenhagen says its forces are no longer needed in Iraq and Syria after ISIS power has been reduced.
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Danish troops patrol the southern town of Al-Garma, 15 km north of the southern city of Basra, Iraq. (AFP)
Denmark has decided to withdraw all its military specialists who allegedly participated in countering ISIS in Iraq and Syria to combat what it called threats in close proximity to the country’s borders, the Danish Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
Denmark will withdraw all its soldiers present in Iraq and Syria after their contribution to combat ISIS is no longer needed as the terrorist group was weakened, the Danish Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
The military forces will head home to counter threats in the country's "immediate vicinity" after being deployed since 2016, the statement read, noting that the unit specialized in the air defense field.
Read more: Denmark reverses policy, resumes arms export to Saudi Arabia, UAE
"Now we are withdrawing the unit to Denmark, partly because the number of the Islamic State [in Syria and Iraq] has been so reduced that there is no equal need for our contribution, and partly because we need to restore combat power for countering the threats that we see in our immediate vicinity," the statement read.
The US and its Western allies have for long employed the alleged "ISIS threat" as a pretext to continue their presence in Iraq and illegal occupation of parts of Syria, frequently plundering resources and conducting espionage operations against the countries and their neighbors.
Read more: 20 years of war: How much did the US war in Iraq, Syria cost?
NATO's eastern flank
Last January, a US ship carrying around 600 pieces of military equipment docked in Denmark as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which aims to strengthen NATO's eastern flank and increase the coalition's military readiness.
The transport ship arrived at Denmark's largest commercial port in Aarhus city - marking the first time the port receives such cargo by the US - and included armored military vehicles destined to be taken to Poland.
Copenhagon's NATO contributions were not limited to becoming a transit state for weapon shipments heading to Kiev, as Denmark also participated in training Ukrainian soldiers, arming Ukraine, and providing military forces to bolster the coalition's eastern flank presence.
