'A wretched and cowardly attack'

By The Copenhagen Post
Published 03.06.08 00:00


One Dane has been confirmed dead in the first terror attack against the country
Monday's car bombing of the Danish Embassy in Pakistan in which as many as eight were killed including one Danish citizen will not affect the country's foreign policy according to Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
'We will maintain the security and foreign policy that we have followed and which has been approved by a majority in parliament' Rasmussen said.
'We view this as an attack against the Danish Embassy and an attack against Denmark. It is a wretched and cowardly attack.'
Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing PET the Danish domestic intelligence agency is operating on the assumption that it was an act of terrorism carried out by al-Qaeda.
A team of investigators from PET the Defence Intelligence Agency and the Foreign Ministry will now travel to Islamabad to assist the Pakistani authorities in their enquiry.
'We need to look thoroughly into this terrible act of terrorism in order to find out what kind of criminals to blame' Per Stig Møller the foreign minister said.
PET now warns that the threat of additional terrorism in the Middle East North Africa Pakistan and Afghanistan is 'considerable and known'. In addition the Foreign Ministry is warning Danes against travelling to Pakistan.
PET has previously warned that there is an increased threat of terrorism against Danish targets in Muslim countries due in part to the country's military engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well Muslim anger against the Mohammed drawings.

But the domestic threat PET said on Monday has not been raised. It remains 'generally high. 'The same as yesterday' PET director Jakob Scharf said.
'People here should not be more afraid today than they were yesterday. But for Danes certain places out in the world yes there is more of a threat.'
He added: 'It's no longer a matter of there being signs that some people want to commit an act of terrorism against Danish interests.'
Opposition politicians condemned the attack but used the opportunity to call on the PM to drop his government's 'militaristic' foreign policy. (KM)