Afghanistan inquiry petition reaches 50,000 signatures

A citizen petition opposing anonymity in an inquiry into Denmark’s military involvement in Afghanistan has reached 50,000 signatures, DR reported.

The petition was launched by veteran Morten Kromann, who says there must be transparency about how Parliament decided to send Danish soldiers to war. He said politicians should stand by their roles in the Afghanistan war, just as soldiers have stood by their actions.

In 2021, Parliament commissioned an inquiry into Denmark’s involvement in the war against the Taliban from 2001 to 2021. Researchers from the Danish Institute for International Studies have completed the 1,000 page report, which has been ready for almost 16 months.

Following a recommendation from Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament’s Presidium decided that politicians could choose whether to be quoted by name in the inquiry.

Most of the politicians involved have told Berlingske that they want to be quoted by name. However, not all have responded, and Kromann strongly opposes allowing politicians to remain anonymous.

He said the arrangement was problematic because researchers could be unable to identify what, for example, former Defence Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen of the Liberal Party had said, even when describing parts of the war.

The petition was created on June 10 in response to the decision to conceal the names of politicians involved in decisions concerning Denmark’s participation in the war. It concerns only material that has been security cleared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It was submitted by Kromann and Danmarks Veteraner og Veteranstøtte, a membership organisation.

Forty four Danish soldiers died during the war in Afghanistan, while about 12,000 Danes were deployed over the 20 year period.