Danish Defence Minister Soren Gade Tuesday visited Danish troops in southern Afghanistan, Danish TV2 News reported, according to dpa. Gade was slated to visit Kandahar and the southern province of Helmand, the report said. Earlier this month, Gade said he expected that foreign troops should be prepared to remain in Afghanistan for at least 10 years. Denmark recently approved to redeploy troops from southern Iraq to Afghanistan, increasing the Danish contingent from some 450 troops to 650 this autumn. The redeployment decision was backed by the government and main opposition parties. Denmark was in August to withdraw its 500-strong contingent from southern Iraq as Baghdad takes charge of security.
