Denmark wants boots on the ground against IS

Danish special forces could be deployed at the dangerous Iraq-Syria border

According to Politiken newspaper, the government will today seek majority support to insert special forces at the border between Iraq and Syria as part of the ongoing struggle against Islamic State (IS).

Politiken, which has obtained the information from unnamed sources, said that the defence minister, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, and the foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, would bring up the issue at a foreign meeting with the Foreign Policy Committee today.

A number of parties reportedly met yesterday for a briefing at the Defence Ministry, and the briefing was of a nature serious enough to warrant asking the politicians to part with their phones before entering the meeting room.

READ MORE: Denmark pulls fighter jets from Iraq and Syria

Return fire 
The Danes have been training Iraqi forces for the last year, and in December its deployed troops were given the mandate to return fire if fired upon as a measure of defence.

Parliament has so far refused to discuss the issue ahead of today’s meeting.

Following the decision to withdraw its F16 fighter jets, Denmark’s presence in Iraq and Syria currently consists of just training and construction troops.




  • The international who shaped Copenhagen

    The international who shaped Copenhagen

    Anna Maria Indrio is one of the most important architects in Denmark, having contributed to shaping Copenhagen into what it is today. Among her best-known projects are the extension of SMK and Arken, as well as the Natural History Museum and the Darwin Centre in London. She moved here 60 years ago, when “Copenhagen was gray and dormant. Predictions suggested it would become depopulated. But putting people at the center changed everything,” she said

  • Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    According to a report by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, internationals’ contribution is 12% of the country’s GDP. In 2023, it was 322 billion DKK, and in 2008, it was 136 billion DKK. “Internationals make a gigantic difference in our prosperity and welfare,” comments Morten Langager, the Director of Dansk Erhverv.

  • Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO

  • Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Two months ago, the Danish PM announced that military equipment should be purchased in a hurry. The first plans for the sea are now ready. Additional plans for warships will follow this summer.

  • International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.

  • Free to speak, free to expose: how corruption shapes media freedom

    Free to speak, free to expose: how corruption shapes media freedom

    In Denmark, journalism feels free — calm, almost unbothered, and independent. In Azerbaijan, it can cost journalists their freedom, as in the case of Avaz Zeynalli, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Xural, who is currently imprisoned on politically motivated charges

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.