Denmark intelligence service raises terrorism threat rating

Denmark’s national security and intelligence service (PET) has declared an increase in the threat of terrorism as a result of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants.

The PET has raised the threat level to four out of five, adding that the threat within that rating has increased.

The threat also refers to Danish interests aboard as well as within its own borders.

“The conflict between Israel and a number of militant groups is of course of concern to many people, including in Denmark,” PET said in a statement.

“The conflict also contains a significant potential for radicalisation and mobilisation, which can potentially activate actors for spontaneous or planned reactions in Denmark, including terrorist attacks.”

In addition to the conflict in Gaza, the agency also cited a series of Koran burnings in Denmark last year as an aggravating factor.

The anti-Islam acts in Denmark led the Danish government to pass a bill in December banning the “inappropriate treatment” of religious texts with offenders facing a fine or up to two years in jail.

The controversial law, which was passed by a majority of 94-77, was criticised in some quarters as an attack on free speech. “History will judge us harshly for this, and with good reason,” said Inger Stoljberg, leader of the Denmark Democrats.

“What it all comes down to is whether a restriction on freedom of speech is determined by us, or whether it is dictated from the outside.”

At the same time, the Danish government is also being sued by a number of NGOs, including Amnesty International and Oxfam, on the basis that Denmark is breaking international law by exporting weapons and military equipment to Israel.

In terms of insurance, Denmark passed the Terrorism Insurance Act in 2008 which established a scheme to provide insurance coverage for property losses as a result of a nuclear, biological, chemical or radioactive (NBCR) terrorist act.

A state-owned terrorism compensation scheme was then introduced in 2019 by the Danish government as a result of concerns over capacity – the fact that terrorism is not a mandatory cover had led insurers to consider withdrawing from the market.