COPENHAGEN, Feb 7: Denmark protested to Iran about more attacks on its Tehran embassy on Tuesday and demanded protection for its diplomats, amid Muslim outrage at cartoons first published in the Nordic country.
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller called his Iranian counterpart ‘and demanded in clear terms that Iran does all it can to protect the embassy and Danish lives’, a spokesman said.
“He said Iran will be held responsible for any damage to Danish interests,” the spokesman said. Some Danes fear the row has heightened the risk of a terrorist attack in Denmark, which has 530 troops in Iraq. Denmark plans to double its 178-strong Afghan mission this year.
In a poll by Epinion for Danish radio, about four in 10 people said publication of the cartoons meant there was now a serious risk of an attack. More than half said the gap between Muslim and non-Muslim Danes had widened because of the cartoons.
The cartoon row, which was behind an attack on troops from Norway in Afghanistan, raised concerns for the safety of Danish troops there and in Iraq, though there are no plans to pull out.
“We have to change the patterns of how they patrol and take precautions to make sure we don’t put them in danger,” Defence Minister Soren Gade said. “The demonstrations in Afghanistan also affect the security of our soldiers there,” said Mr Gade, referring to the attack on troops from Norway, which has also attracted Muslim wrath after a Norwegian newspaper reproduced the drawings.
Mr Gade also said Danish troops on UN peacekeeping missions in Muslim countries had changed into uniforms without the Danish flag for their own safety and aid workers in Pakistan had also removed the Danish flag from their camp.
Heeding security advice from their government, thousands of Danes cancelled plans to travel to the Middle East and Indonesia and one major Danish company, dairy firm Arla, has sent some workers home as the result of a Middle East Danish boycott.
Fie Sandfeld of Danish travel agency Star Tour said 12 clients were being evacuated from Bali and about 3,000 Danes had cancelled trips to Egypt, but those already abroad mostly wanted to stay.
“We currently have 500 guests in Egypt and 200 in Morocco. We have offered to bring them home, but the vast majority are staying,” said Mr Sandfeld. “Only four from Egypt want to come home, otherwise we are hearing that things are calm and that they are not affected by the conflict.” —Reuters
Bush phones Danish PM
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday that US President George Bush had called him to express his support for Denmark in the cartoon row.
“President Bush called me on the telephone to express his support and reiterated the support already received from the US, which we very much appreciate,” Mr Rasmussen told a news conference in Copenhagen.
“We hope the international community will be able, together, to find a peaceful solution to this crisis,” he said. —AFP