In February, Denmark will send 120 soldiers to the west Iraqi province of Anbar to fight Islamic State (IS), along with their peers from other 30-plus countries.
At the Hoeveltes Military Base, these soldiers have been getting together for training. And in a few weeks, this class will be fighting in a war zone — Anbar Province, 158 kilometers outside Baghdad and is actually inside IS-controled area. It is not far from the key city of Ramadi, which was retaken by a reinvigorated Iraqi army two weeks ago.
Denmark’s contribution is more than symbolic.
“We have a very broad quantity of soldiers: experts within counter-IED; experts within artillery and mortars; and experts in fighting in built-up areas. So a very small army – a very small country – can actually contribute to a huge task,” Kenneth Stroem, lieutenant colonel, from the First Batallion of the Danish Royal Lifeguard Regiment, told China Central Television on Sunday.
Danes have been on the ground for 12 months and these men will be the third rotation.
“Actually, we just treat them like equals. So we be nice to them, they will be nice to us. They know we’re there to help them,” said Ronny Skjoldnaes, lieutenant, from the First Batallion of the Danish Royal Lifeguard Regiment.
Even “force protection” units cannot discount the so-called “insider threat” — an attack from within Iraqi ranks, though soldiers know the risks.
“I volunteered for this job. So I knew what the consequences could be. And my family has a military history. I’m the fifth generation of men who went to the Royal Lifeguard. So they’re prepared for it,” said Pvt Lars, soldier of the regiment.
As the majority of Danes have taken part, any longer-term deployment could become more contentious.
“The risk is that we maybe end up seeing Islamic State being fragmented from the inside but then we will have a new very, very messy civil war situation that we do not know how to handle,” said Lars Andersen, research fellow of Danish Institute for International Affairs.
But right now the Iraqi army is advancing. And these Danish soldiers will prepare them for the fight ahead. (CCTV/Reuters)