"I think it is simply absurd to say that now that democracy is in place, we can leave," Moeller was quoted as saying by the Danish news agency Ritzau at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels.

"Democracy is a threatened plant. We must be glad that it has started to grow, but this does not mean that it is ready to withstand all storms and pressure," he said.

Polish Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski confirmed Monday that Poland plans in the coming weeks to reduce its contingent in Iraq to around 1,600 soldiers from the current 2,400 serving there.

"At the end of February, there will be 800 fewer troops than today," Szmajdzinski said.

Poland, a close ally of the United States in Iraq like Denmark, administers a multinational force in Iraq of 5,600 troops.

Denmark also has 525 troops serving as part of the multinational force in Iraq, and polls suggest that two thirds of Danes wish to see the contingent withdrawn from the country.

Denmark's opposition Social Democratic party has said it would withdraw the country's troops from Iraq if it wins a February 8 general election.

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