Danish CP protests U.S.-Denmark pact on bases

Workers World received this statement from the Danish Communist Party on Oct. 4.

For more than two years, Denmark’s government leaders have been negotiating a bilateral defense agreement with the United States, which will allow U.S. troops to stay on Danish soil for shorter or longer periods of time, while war material can be stored in the country without the possibility of Danish control.

‘No to U.S. bases, no foreign troops on Danish soil,’ reads sign at a political gathering last June 15-17 on Bornholm Island. (Photo: Danish Communist Party)

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference in February last year that the purpose is for the U.S. to have “an even better opportunity to be present here in Europe” than today.

Based on the agreements we already have, U.S. soldiers will not be prosecuted in Danish courts for crimes committed in Denmark, and with the agreement being negotiated, we will not be able to prevent the U.S. from storing nuclear weapons in the country for a shorter or longer period of time.

The U.S. does not disclose its strategy, which means that its officials never disclose whether they store nuclear weapons on their aircraft, ships and bases, and Denmark will therefore never be able to be certain that nuclear weapons are not stored on the bases.

Denmark also risks becoming a bombing target for the many enemies the U.S. makes during the many military operations and wars it has a tradition of waging.

Norway has entered into a base agreement with the U.S., which means that the U.S. will have unrestricted access to four land areas in Norway, where it can set up barracks, hangars, and port areas as it wishes. There will be no possibility of any kind of control of these areas by the Norwegian authorities. The details of the agreement were agreed to in the deepest secrecy and the Norwegian population was never asked if they wanted the bases.

The same secrecy is now happening here in Denmark.

Denmark will, with a bilateral base agreement with the U.S., cede sovereignty to the U.S. — and this will happen without the population being asked.

The Danish Communist Party strongly opposes such a bilateral agreement and calls for the broadest possible struggle against it.

Mona Jensen 

The international department of the Danish Communist Party 

Lotte Rørtoft-Madsen 

Chairperson of Danish Communist Party