Defense minister steps down

Copenhagen

Denmark’s defense minister, Svend Aage Jensby, resigned last week after lawmakers accused the government of lying to justify its support of the Iraq war. Denmark has sent 500 troops to Iraq, and defense officials still say Saddam Hussein “probably had biological and chemical weapons.” But a former intelligence analyst in February leaked confidential reports written before the invasion that concluded there was no “certain information” the weapons existed. Jensby said he had been the target of a “smear campaign” ever since. “The government has achieved amazing results,” Jensby said, “and I don’t want to burden it and my family with more harassment.”