Milan V. Petkovic: Albanian Terrorists — Chapter 4

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has an important strategic position in the Balkans: it links the Adriatic Sea to Romania and Bulgaria, dominates the central course of the Danube, and all communication directions and natural corridors from north-west to the south-east cross its territory. In this sense, nothing has changed since the times that old geopolitical ideas were formulated — embodied by the syntagma Drang Nach Osten, but applicable the other way around as well — The Road to the West. The disintegration of former Yugoslavia and the creation of new states instead, with ethnic and religious conflicts smoldering between them along with other types of antagonisms, unveiled serious problems regarding new state borders — especially in view of the internationalization of the Serbian national question. In this sense, a stable internal and international status is has primary importance for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This includes a modified and adapted position of Kosovo and Metohija and of the Raska region (Sandzak) because they lie along the direction going from Macedonia to Bosnia thus representing a new (old) link along the so-called “Green Crosscut”.

With all that, the struggle against the growing secessionist forces and terrorism, and the persistent efforts made by foreign factors to have a decisive influence on the internal affairs of Serbia and FR Yugoslavia, must be the basic and permanent strategy for all Yugoslav state policy entities. This is made important by the fact that non-Balkan and above all non-Yugoslav factors tolerating, supporting and inciting terrorism are continuing the strategy for the atomization of the Yugoslav territories ant the introduction of a political, social and economic instability.

The latest movements on the ethnic Albanian political scene can be clearly qualified as radicalization of both stands and activities. Such radicalization — including the growing number of terrorist actions — has reached the point when political solutions for the existing situation can not be contemplated without serious considerations about the dangers that an escalated use of force might create.

Newspapers in Albanian, freely published in Kosovo and Metohija, are filled with articles trying to minimize any Albanian secessionist motivations in the terrorist attacks, and describe them as a political reaction and armed resistance to the “Serbian aggression”. In these efforts, all those accused or indicted for terrorism are immediately qualified as victims of state repression and turned into national heroes.

Police operations are interpreted as provocation intended to cause major conflicts. Such constructions — prompted by the creators of wars and rebellions — are to prepare the ground for justifying and armed actions of the ethnic Albanian terrorists.

This is obviously a way of inspiring lawlessness, destabilization of the existing state, chaos and disorder. Such an environment suits best criminals, terrorists and anarchists. The “profits” are the greatest and no one can control them. “Alban” and others like him maybe do not know this and think that they are fighting form some “justice”. However, those that are manipulating them, know perfectly how to use them for their objectives — a long way from romanticism and patriotism. In this game “Alban” and other pawns like him are bound to be discarded as soon as they fulfill their purpose. Their ideologists and the sponsors of their ideologists will easily find new pawns should they need them.

Will the West repeat the mistakes it made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, now that it's dealing with Kosovo and Metohija? If in the case of Bosnia the Clinton Administration could say that it is “facing a difficult situation of the civilian Moslem population in Bosnia” (which was a deceit of the American and international public), and that “the US had no alternative but to tacitly allow Islamic aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina” (in spite of the fact that this aid was organized by Iran), in the case of Kosovo and Metohija it will not be able to invoke such justifications. Still, by allowing the Iranian involvement in and around Sarajevo, the White House actively induced the continuation of the “Kosovo Crisis”, even though it was plain as day that the main forces of the local Moslems were controlled by Islamic terrorist forces and sponsored by Iran. No humanitarian crisis or any other argument can justify such American policy unless one anticipates the outcome of actions favoring militant Islamism.

On the other hand, the Iranian attempt to infiltrate and fortify Islamic extremist ideas in Europe is part of the plan to establish global Islamic domination. Traditionally the shortest way from the Islamic lands to the “heart of Europe” goes across the Balkans. Bearing in mind the persistent attempts made over the years to create the so-called Green Crosscut and establish Islamic domination along it, then the Iranian involvement in support of the terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija is much clearer. Are only those carrying out physical violence terrorists, or is it also anyone inciting, financing and supporting terrorists, providing them with varied aid in their criminal activities justly condemned by the world community?

The numerous disappointing attempts to clear this essential question made by the international community over the years, clearly reveal the complexity and difficulty this problem entails. In fact, son after World War Two, this issue was taken up by the United Nations. In fact the 2nd UN General Assembly Session held on November 21st 1947, passed the Resolution No. 177/II, instructing the Committee for International Law to prepare a draft code of crimes against peace and security of mankind. In 1954, the Committee submitted the draft code, and one of the articles it contained read as follows: “Undertaking or encouraging terrorists activities by the authorities of a country in some other country, or tolerance by the authorities of a country of organized activities intended for carrying out terrorist acts in an another country, are hereby proclaimed crimes against peace and security of mankind.”

UN member countries displayed the inability to harmonize their positions on the draft document on various occasions, especially after the kidnapping and assassination of the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 — carried out by Palestinian terrorists. The difference of opinions about terrorists was not overcome even on internal anti-terrorist meetings held in Sharm El Sheyk (March 13th 1996), in Cairo (July 30th 1997) and in Paris (July 31st 1997). The meeting of the Islamic countries held in Teheran that same year also failed to produce an agreement by all sides. Instead, plans and resolutions were offered at meetings involving international community representatives of various levels, and due to the different interests of individual countries they have never been generally accepted principles.

A definite solution to the question who is actually a terrorist would certainly help reduce terrorism in the world. In this sense, the opinion of numerous international anti-terrorism experts should be taken into account: they believe that terrorism by non-government subjects would be negligible and even eradicated if it were denied government support. Since every state is capable of protecting itself from domestic terrorism, or at least should be capable, these opinions are completely founded. In the case of the terrorism by Albanian extremists against FR Yugoslavia, the viewpoint mentioned above is quite recognizable. The hotbed of such terrorism is in Kosovo and Metohija, it is enacted by ethnic Albanian extremists and they are being helped by foreign powers. The relative Yugoslav and Serbian authorities have taken timely and efficient measures to prevent ethnic Albanian terrorists from using mass violence in order to incite a rebellion and carryout the secession. The sentences passed by the County Court in Pristina on July 15th 1994. are a good example of an efficient defense against terrorism. The trial involved 14 members of the self-appointed ministry of defense of the “Republic of Kosova” who were accused and found guilty of acting according to instructions from the Democratic League of Kosovo and organizing — since 1990 — the “Kosovo Liberation Army” with the comprehensive aid from Albania and several radical Islamic countries. Their sentences ranged from 1 to 8 years of imprisonment. Yugoslav and Serbian authorities showed the same determination and efficiency against direct terrorists when the violence escalated in the first half of 1998 in the Drenica zone and certain parts of Metohija.

However, ethnic Albanians that carried out the terrorist attacks are the result of coordinated and continued efforts by several foreign factors and only the tip of the iceberg.

Just as foreign sponsors used various methods to incite terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija over the past few years, an equally broad range of counter-measures exists that can be used to stop them immediately or quite rapidly. The principal role in suppressing or completely neutralizing these terrorists can be played by Albania, because thousands of terrorists from Kosovo and Metohija have been trained there and it is supplying them with large quantities of arms and ammunition. Similar actions could be taken by other Islamic countries, especially the members of the D-8 Group of most developed Islamic countries. Similar influence might be exerted by the western countries especially the US and Germany because Albania is very much interested in becoming member of European and global economic, financial and political associations and institutions.

The moment that in Albania or some other country where terrorists are training, hiding or recuperating, some of them is arrested for terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorist activities and extradited to Yugoslav authorities, terrorism in Yugoslavia will certainly die down and probably even stop. If this doesn't occur, terrorists from Kosovo and Metohija would be given better treatment internationally that those belonging to other terrorist organizations and groups elsewhere in the world.

On the other hand, the danger exist that Albanian terrorism might get out of control, and hook up with other terrorist organizations and groups throughout the world, and with international organized crime. This would create a specific international criminal-terrorist international. In that case the battle against such a form of international evil will become much more difficult if not impossible.

Finally, if the ties between terrorism and other forms of crime are considered — especially organized crime, drug-mafia, illegal trade involving arms, military equipment, “white slavery” and toxic waste, several questions come up. Is being a terrorist a profession? Are we to be faced with a terrorist union one day? If training centers for terrorists exist, does this imply the existence of schools for terrorist instructors, teachers and professors? How far can the existence of terrorism be tolerated?

Back in March 1998, newspapers published in Albanian in Kosovo and Metohija and some of the magazines published in Tirana confirmed that in Metohija and in the zone around Drenica foreign mercenaries are operating — “professionals” as they were called in the articles. Most of them came from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Pakistan. When a terrorist group was liquidated in the vicinity of Djakovica on May 3rd 1998, one of the “ebony colored terrorists” had a letter in his pocket identifying him as Jaber Immad El Madedin from Sudan. Iran and some other radical Islamic countries offered to help the “Kosovo Liberation Army” by sending instructors and trained troops. Certain KLA members in the US remarked that “it would not be nice to refuse such aid since it is welcome, especially the aid from radical Islamic countries in case that the Serbs were to launch a violent offensive”.

On the other hand, secessionist representatives in Switzerland deny any ties between ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Mujahedins, religion and mercenaries. “There are only volunteers”, they say, but do not deny the fact that large numbers of Mujahedins that fought in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Moslems “wound up in Kosovo and Metohija” by using “channels and contacts known only to them, and backed by financial support from the world” in order that they might “carry out Allah's orders” right there — in Kosovo and Metohija. “Aid” sent by foreigners “is coming from all over the world” boast the secessionist media. Obviously the profession — terrorist (e.g. specialized mercenary) is one of the oldest trades in the world and is still attracting many “dogs of war” especially if there are prospects of pillage, violence, rape and vandalism. Many of them aren't lucky and “work” just that once. Others turn their “experience” into a profit making business by becoming managers for mercenaries. In Bristol (Great Britain) the association of “international fighters” has been founded. Its prime objective, adopted by the founding assembly which was chaired by the Dutchman Raymond Der Linde is to “realize the rights of those foreign soldiers that failed to realize the rights defenders of Croatia are entitled to”. Interestingly enough, the Association has good and well developed ties with the representatives of the “Kosovo Liberation Army”. One of the arrangements concerns the creation of a terrorist training camp. One such camp is already operating in the Bosnian village of Mahuric. This is where the Palestinian Abu Hamzeh was trained before coming as a “skilled defender of Islam” to Kosovo and Metohija. That's where he died.

The “terrorist international” is beginning to take shape. Should it be allowed to develop fully? The best protection for the future is to promote realism. Otherwise terrorism will become a serious threat for mankind. Countries should strengthen cooperation at least on the bilateral level where it is much easier to find fertile ground for international security interests or for exchange of information. Finally, good results can be achieved by strategically using the weaknesses of the existing terrorist formations and those still in the making, especially internal discord and not always good relations between the leaders and the field groups, especially if some of them intend to secure political leadership as well.

It would be illusory to rely on the quick and simultaneous elimination of the factors that stimulate, incite and revitalize terrorism, although it can be restricted with adequate measures. Therefore it must not be given hope because it sustains and strengthens it.

Perseverance and coherence is quintessential in the battle against terrorism. As well as intransigence, efficacy and clarity — terrorism must not become a profession, nor turn into a force dictating conditions to the society.