MACEDONIA: EXPERT WARNS ARABS LINKED WITH AL-QA'IDAH
SEEN AT BORDER WITH ALBANIA
BBC Monitoring International Reports - December 13, 2004
Text of report by Svetlana Jovanovska: "Arabs from Al-Qa'idah walking around
Skopje" published by Macedonian newspaper Dnevnik on 10 December
Arabs linked to Al-Qa'idah's widespread network have been seen at the
Albanian-Macedonian border and around Skopje. That is all I can say at this
point. We cannot say whether these people are there on vacation, just passing
by, training or preparing something. The intelligence services are monitoring
them, terrorism expert Claude Monique (name as transliterated) told Dnevnik.
According to this expert, it has not been confirmed yet whether Islamic
terrorists are linked with the Albanians who were members of the former
liberation armies of Kosovo and Macedonia.
"I stayed in Macedonia for a while during the crisis, but I have not noticed
such a link. Radical Islam is a new phenomenon in Macedonia, which is why it is
being monitored," he said.
In his view, the problems in the IVZ (Islamic Religious Community) have no
connection whatsoever with the temporary closure of the US Embassy in Macedonia.
"The risk of Islamic fundamentalism has been determined and it is obvious in
Macedonia and Bosnia-Hercegovina. There are indications that it may emerge in
Kosovo as well, but currently a more serious and a more dangerous reality there
is the Mafia. US citizens frequently close their embassies because of a risk of
a terrorist attack. They regularly receive such reports from their services, but
this is a precautionary measure and it does not necessarily mean that such an
attack will occur," Monique says.
He claims that the Balkans is an extremely attractive place for Islamists and
Al-Qa'idah. This is because international groups are stationed there and they
are frequently targets of the terrorists, because Islamists can draw closer to
Europe through the Balkans.
We cannot say that Skopje Mufti Zenon Berisha is linked with the Al-Qa'idah, but
in all likelihood he is linked with Islamic fundamentalism, a European
intelligence officer, who insisted on remaining anonymous, told Dnevnik with
regard to Claude Monique's statements.
"Terrorists are linked to political Islamists, and Berisha is both a religious
and political Islamist," our source said, adding that Berisha's negative view on
(Islamic Religious Community head) Emini is yet further evidence of this.
In Monique's view, it is a fact that people linked to Al-Qa'idah are trying to
destabilize the countries populated by Muslims. According to Monique, evidence
of this are the arrests of Egyptians who prepared assassinations in Tirana.
These people were sentenced to death and executed in Egypt.
Monique adds that there is occasionally news from some countries, such as
Israel, that, for example, there are terrorists' training camps near Lake Ohrid.
"I doubt that there are such camps near Ohrid because they are looking for a
bigger space and they would soon be noticed there. I believe that they have
smaller training units consisting of a maximum of 10 people. They can carry out
the training in separate houses, because such places are much harder to find,"
Monique adds.
Interior Ministry: There are no training camps here
The Interior Ministry (MVR) yesterday refused to comment on the foreign experts'
claims about the presence of Arabs from Al-Qa'idah in Skopje. It said that the
police are monitoring all people who posed potential danger to Macedonia.
"There are no terrorist' training camps on the Macedonian side of Lake Ohrid.
There are Arabs in Macedonia, but their number has not increased lately. Some of
them are studying in our country," the MVR said.
Source: Dnevnik, Skopje, in Macedonian 10 Dec 04
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