Denmark's armed forces, already involved in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, lack sufficient numbers of troops to participate in a United Nations force in Lebanon, Denmark's defence minister said on Tuesday.
"We cannot be everywhere at once. We are already in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo where we have the majority of our trained troops" for international operations, Defence Minister Soeren Gade told national television channel TV2.
Denmark has 1,279 soldiers serving on international missions, and is set to contribute troops to a UN peacekeeping force in Sudan, Gade added.
Former foreign minister and spokesman for the opposition Social Democrats, Mogens Lykketoft, has suggested that Denmark redeploy troops currently serving in Iraq to Lebanon.
