Denmark has offered to take charge of NATO’s training mission in Iraq for a period of 18 months starting in 2020, the Danish foreign ministry announced Tuesday.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s training mission in Iraq began in October 2018 and is currently led by Canada.
If the offer is accepted, Danish forces stationed in Iraq would assume control of the NATO mission, which provides Iraqi security forces with military training to fight the Islamic State group (ISIS). A further 213 Danish personnel will be deployed.
“With the contribution, we will be able to deliver an even stronger effort in our joint fight against the ISIL terrorist group by training the Iraqis,” Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said in a statement, using another name for ISIS.
Kofod said he has already discussed the offer with his US counterpart Mike Pompeo and with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in last week’s NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. The response to the Danish offer was “very positive”, he added. The offer will be formally announce at NATO’s leadership meeting in London next week.
There are currently 500 NATO personnel stationed in Iraq supporting the anti-ISIS training mission. Läs artikel