Jensby was meeting with parliament's foreign affairs commission to explain why he had said the Danish soldier had been killed in a firefight on August 16, when in fact he had been shot dead by his own troops.

Corporal Preben Pedersen, 34, was killed in an exchange of gunfire which erupted as the soldier and his unit tried to examine a truck carrying several Iraqis whom they believed to be thieves.

But according to a Danish television reported released August 25, the Iraqis were in fact unarmed fishermen. Two of the Iraqis were killed as well as Pedersen.

"The minister had been informed on August 17 that it wasn't a firefight.... But he continued to tell lawmakers and the media that it was a combat death," Socialist spokesman Willy Soevndal told AFP.

Following the soldier's death, a majority in parliament called for reinforcements to be sent to Denmark's 420-strong contingent in Iraq, currently under British command.

But a political row has ensued over the defense ministry's spin on the event.

"It is unacceptable for a country in the middle of war to have a minister who cannot be trusted, who knowingly misinforms parliament, and who must resign," the Socialists' Soevndal said.

The far-left Unity List backed the call, with lawmaker Soeren Soendergaard saying the affair was "not banal, for two totally innocent civilians have been killed and a Dane... was killed in friendly fire."

But a move for Jensby's dismissal is likely to fail, since the far-right People's Party, though critical of the ruling coalition, said it was not ready to call for him to be removed.

WAR.WIRE