brian ghilliotti: albania presentation for us army, training related

8/18/2019 Brian Ghilliotti: Albania presentation for US Army, training related.

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A Summary of Threats that USGovernment Employees Face in Albania

Presented by SGT Ghilliotti

CENTCOM

July 30, 2015

Overall Classification:

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AIT Training Product

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Introduction

• US Government personnel stationed in Albanian face avariety of threats, ranging from national liberationmovements, organized crime, and regional tensionsamongst clans

• Though some of these groups operate in surroundingcountries, they have strong political and economic tiesin Albania

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Albanian National Liberation Movements(KLA)

• Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) emerged in 1997 with astated aim of fighting against ethnic repression fromSerb dominated Former Yugoslavia

• KLA also demanded greater political autonomy for

Kosovo(1)

• Slobodan Milosevic, leader of FY at the time, rose topower on claims he would defend Kosovo Serbs againstAlbanian nationalism (2)

• Serb security forces frequently clashed with the KLA

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• NATO finally intervened with a 78 day bombingcampaign throughout the FY to degrade FY militarycapabilities and support the KLA(3)

• Serbs responded by stepping up their counterinsurgencyefforts, including an effort to expel all Albanians fromKosovo

• Albanian refugees streamed across the Macedonian and

Albanian borders, creating a potentially destabilizingrefugee crisis (4)

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• By June 1999, Milosevic gave into NATO’s air campaignand withdrew from his forces from Kosovo (5)

• An international force under UN/NATO leadershipoccupied the province

• Immediately sought to resettle refugees, rebuildproperties, ensure the FY forces did not return, anddisarm KLA

• Also sought to control ethnic retaliation against Serbsand other minorities in Kosovo by Albanians (6)

• Peacekeeping mission still on-going

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Albanian National Liberation Movements(UCPMB)

• Violence did not stop in Kosovo

• Albanian militant group called UCPMB took sanctuary ina demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the Kosovo-Serbianborder

• DEMZ Set up after Serb withdrawal

• UCPMB called for greater language rights and politicalrepresentation of Albanians in southern Serbia

• Carried out attacks against Serb police in southernSerbia, especially in Presevo Valley region(7)

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• Fighting ended when NATO forces permitted Serbsecurity forces to re-enter demilitarized zone in May2001

• Peace Accord recognized Albanian language demands,integration of Albanians in local police, and expandedlocal political representation of Albanians

• UCPMB was disbanded(8)

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Albanian National Liberation Movements(NLA)

• An Albanian separatist movement known as the NationalLiberation Army (NLA) emerged by January 2001 in theAlbanian dominated regions of northern Macedonia

•Their demands were very similar to those made by thePresevo Valley Albanians, more language rights andpolitical representation(9)

• Macedonian government claimed that Albanians were

already fairly represented and were really pushing forseparatism(10)

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• Macedonian security forces contained the NLA to thenorthwestern regions of the country, resulting in astalemate

• A peace accord was reached in August 2002; Macedoniaagreed to the 20% language rule, the NLA recognizedMacedonian state institutions and disarmed(11)

• Ethnic clashes still occur; the most serious clash occurredin Kumanovo in May 2015 where Macedonian securityforces drove out a group of Albanian rebels

• Macedonian government at the time was dealing withseparate popular protests related to a political wiretapping scandal(12)

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Albanian National Liberation Movements(Relevance)

• Albanian national liberation movements are still evolvingand have supporters in Albania

• US government personnel should avoid discussion of

Albanian history or current events unless in an officialbusiness context

• Opinions stated by US government employees about theseevents can be mistaken as an official US government

position• If a local population perceives an individual opinion as

offensive, reactions may vary from individual assaults toviolent protests

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Albanian Organized Crime Groups

• Albanian rebel movements receive fiscal, logistical andmaterial support from Albanian mafia organizations bysupporting their regional smuggling operations(13)

• Some argue that the national liberation wars were really

efforts by Albanian crime groups to control smugglingroutes through Kosovo, Presevo, and Macedonia(14)

• Albanian radicals would see an “anti Albanian” shift in USpolicy if support for the Albanian government is stepped up

to interdict their smuggling operations• Albanian police and security forces have engaged in serious

clashes with drug trafficking organized crime groups

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Albanian Organized Crime Groups

• This can lead to targeting of US government employees,equipment, and facilities

• Albanian government corruption by organized crimegroups also poses operational security challenges

• Organized crime groups may also compromisegovernment employees by selling them contraband

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Albanian Regional Clan Divides

• Albanian security and police forces nearly disintegratedduring the 1997 national investment scheme collapse

• Many lost their savings, and nationwide riots ensued

• Albanian police and military mostly deserted, somejoined the protests(15)

• Crisis exposed a regional divide between the northernAlbanian “Gheg” clans and the southern Albanian “Tosk”clans

• The Tosks, by reason of geography, were more exposedto outside influences; they see themselves as more“educated” and the Ghegs as “backwards”

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• The Ghegs, residing in the northern mountainous regionof Albania, see the Tosks as “traitors” who do notrepresent true Albanian culture,

• They resisted outside control and influence due to

mountainous geography

• Strongest supporters of the national liberation wars

• Sali Berisha, who was the Albanian PM at the time of the1997 crisis, is a Gheg, and his party, the Democratic

Party, is primarily supported by Ghegs• The opposition Socialist Party is mostly supported by

Tosks (16)

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• The 1997 demonstrations were mostly concentrated in theSouthern Tosk regions and slowly spread northwards

• Since large numbers of police and military deserted,protestors looted large numbers of weapons from armories

•

Albanian security forces restored order in north, andBerisha permitted the Ghegs access to unlooted armoriesso they could arm themselves in self-defense(17)

• Civil war was averted when Berisha agreed to step downfor new elections, which the Tosk supported Socialist Partywon.

• Albanian political process largely a function of Gheg / Toskdivide(18)

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• Most of the looted weaponry was never returned, much of itbeing distributed by Albanian mafia groups to the Albanianinsurgent movements in Kosovo, Presevo, and Macedonia(19)

• If the political climate is too divided by clan rivalry , apolitical leader can always try to unite the political landscape

by exploiting an ethnic crisis in a neighboring country• This can put the US Government and its employees in a

delicate and dangerous situation should it mediate betweenAlbanian clans or rival nations to de-escalate tensions

• If there is any perceived partiality on the part of the US

Government, then personnel, property and equipment can betargeted by Albanian radicals in retaliation

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Conclusions

• Threats to US government personnel in Albania are multi-layered, trans-regional, and deeply interconnected

• US government employees must use considered judgmentwhen discussing local or regional politics, as their opinions

may be seen as official US policy, prompting a backlash• Albanian government corruption from local organized

crime poses operational and physical security risks,especially when it comes to organized crime interdictionefforts

• US government employees must be aware of volatilitytrends in ethnic clan politics, as it has led to civil disorderin the past, and can create personal security challenges

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Questions?

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Notes1. Anderson, Sean & Sloan, Stephen. The Historical Dictionary of Terrorism. Lanhan, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2009, pg. 362.

2. Hitchcock, William I. The Struggle for Europe: The Turbulent History of a Divided Continent, 1945 to the Present. New York: Anchor

Books, 2013, pg. 386.3. Unknown author. “15 Years on: Looking Back at NATO’s ‘humanitarian’ bombing of Yugoslavia”, Russia Today , March 24th, 2014,

accessed July 12, 2015. http://rt.com/news/yugoslavia-kosovo-nato-bombing-705/

4. Beaumont, Peter & Wintour, Peter. “Milosevic and Operation Horseshoe”, The Guardian, July 17th, 1999, accessed July 12, 2015.http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/18/balkans8

5. Hosmer, Stephen T. “Why Milosevic Decided to Settle the Conflict over when He Did,“ RAND Research Brief , October 15, 2001.

6. Unknown author. “Violence in Kosovo: Who’s Killing Whom?”, ICG Balkans Report No. 78, November 2nd, 1999, pgs. 1-3. http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/Kosovo%2014.pdf

7. Sotiropoulos, Dimitri & Veremis, Thanos. Is Southeastern Europe Doomed to Instability? New York, NY: Routledge, 2002, pg. 158

8. Unknown author. “Southern Serbia (Presevo Valley): The Second Kosovo?” Presheva Jone, no publication dates given, accessed July 12,

2015. http://www.preshevajone.com/southern-serbia-presevo-valley-the-second- kosovo9. Ciment, James. Encyclopedia of Ethnic Conflicts Since World War II New York, NY: Routledge, March 20, 2015, pg. 857.

10. Unknown author. “Macedonian Government Rejects Ethnic Albanian Demand”, Agence France-Presse, July 18th, 2001, accessed July 14,2015. http://www.alb-net.com/amcc/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid995398995,64409,

11. Rubin, Alissa J. “Macedonians Make Tentative Language Deal”, Los Angeles Times, August 2, 2001, accessed July 16, 2015.http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/02/news/mn-29775

12. Petrov, Angel (editorial). “Macedonia: Imagining the Unimaginable about Kumanovo”, novinite.com, May 10, 2015, accessed July 17,2015. http://www.novinite.com/articles/168438/Macedonia%3A+Imagining+the+Unimaginable+about+Kumanovo

13. Cooley, John K. “Albanian Insurgents Increasingly Linked to Drug Trade”, ABC NewsMarch 9, 2001, accessed July 17, 2015.http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81410

14. Battersby, Paul, Ripiloski, Sasho, and Siracusa, Joseph M. Crime wars: The Global Intersection of Crime, Political Violence, and

International Law. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2011, pgs. 62-62.15. Unknown author. “Albanian Civil War”, GlobalSecurity.org. Page last modified: June 26th, 2013. Date accessed: July 17, 2015. http://

www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/albania.htm

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http://www.globalsecurity.org/http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81410http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81410http://www.novinite.com/articles/168438/Macedonia:+Imagining+the+Unimaginable+about+Kumanovohttp://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/02/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/02/http://www.alb-/http://www.alb-/http://www.preshevajone.com/southern-serbia-presevo-valley-the-second-http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/18/balkans8http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/18/balkans8http://rt.com/news/yugoslavia-kosovo-nato-bombing-705/


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Notes

16. Shkullaku, Ghent. “Albanian Protests and Potential Regional Consequences”, Stratfor.com, January 22nd, 2011, date accessed: July14, 2015. https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-regional-consequences-.html

17. Stasiuk, Andzej. On the Road to Babadag: Travels in the Other Europe. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, June 2011, pg. 107.

18. Shkullaku, Ghent. “Albanian Protests and Potential Regional Consequences”, Stratfor.com, January 22nd, 2011, date accessed: July14, 2015. https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-regional-consequences-.html

19. Shkullaku, Ghent. “Albanian Protests and Potential Regional Consequences”, Stratfor.com, January 22nd, 2011

Images

Slide 6: Infoplease Atlas, undated. Date accessed: July 15, 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/kosovo.html

Slide 8: Unknown author, “Albanian Rebel Chief Surrenders”, BBC News, May 26th, 2001. Date accessed: July 15, 2015http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1353692.stm

Slide 16: Michaletos, Ioannis. “Kosovo’s Affairs and the Narco-statehood”, Serbianna, March 28, 2008. Date accessed: July 19, 2015

http://www.serbianna.com/columns/michaletos/046.shtml

Slide 20: Unknown author, “Albanian, Gheg in Albnania”, Bethany World Prayer Center , undated. Date accessed: July 19th, 20015

http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11880/AL

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http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11880/ALhttp://www.serbianna.com/columns/michaletos/046.shtmlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1353692.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1353692.stmhttp://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/kosovo.htmlhttps://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-


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SourcesAnderson, Sean & Sloan, Stephen. The Historical Dictionary of Terrorism. Lanhan, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2009Battersby, Paul, Ripiloski, Sasho, and Siracusa, Joseph M. Crime wars: The Global Intersection of Crime, Political Violence, and

International Law. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2011Beaumont, Peter & Wintour, Peter. “Milosevic and Operation Horseshoe”, The Guardian, July 17th, 1999, accessed July 12, 2015http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/18/balkans8

Ciment, James. Encyclopedia of Ethnic Conflicts Since World War II New York, NY: Routledge, March 20, 2015Cooley, John K. “Albanian Insurgents Increasingly Linked to Drug Trade”, ABC NewsMarch 9, 2001, accessed July 17, 2015

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81410 Hitchcock, William I. The Struggle for Europe: The Turbulent History of a Divided Continent, 1945 to the Present. New York:

Anchor Books, 2013.Hosmer, Stephen T. “Why Milosevic Decided to Settle the Conflict over when He Did,“ RAND Research Brief , October 15, 2001Michaletos, Ioannis. “Kosovo’s Affairs and the Narco-statehood”, Serbianna, March 28, 2008. Date accessed: July 19, 2015

http://www.serbianna.com/columns/michaletos/046.shtml

Petrov, Angel (editorial). “Macedonia: Imagining the Unimaginable about Kumanovo”, novinite.com, May 10, 2015, accessed July17, 2015 http://www.novinite.com/articles/168438/Macedonia%3A+Imagining+the+Unimaginable+about+Kumanovo

Rubin, Alissa J. “Macedonians Make Tentative Language Deal”, Los Angeles Times, August 2, 2001, accessed July 16, 2015http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/02/news/mn-29775

Shkullaku, Ghent. “Albanian Protests and Potential Regional Consequences”, Stratfor.com, January 22nd, 2011, date accessed:July 14, 2015. https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-regional-consequences-.html

Sotiropoulos, Dimitri & Veremis, Thanos. Is Southeastern Europe Doomed to Instability? New York, NY: Routledge, 2002Stasiuk, Andzej. On the Road to Babadag: Travels in the Other Europe. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, June 2011Unknown author. “15 Years on: Looking Back at NATO’s ‘humanitarian’ bombing of Yugoslavia”, Russia Today , March 24th, 2014,

accessed July 12, 2015. http://rt.com/news/yugoslavia-kosovo-nato-bombing-705/ Unknown author. “Albanian Civil War”, GlobalSecurity.org. Page last modified: June 26th, 2013. Date accessed: July 17, 2015.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/albania.htm

Unknown author. “Violence in Kosovo: Who’s Killing Whom?”, ICG Balkans Report No. 78, November 2nd, 1999 http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/Kosovo%2014.pdf

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http://www.globalsecurity.org/http://rt.com/news/yugoslavia-kosovo-nato-bombing-705/https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/37/371305_fw-albanian-protests-and-potential-http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/02/http://www.novinite.com/articles/168438/Macedonia:+Imagining+the+Unimaginable+about+Kumanovohttp://www.serbianna.com/columns/michaletos/046.shtmlhttp://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81410http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81410http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/18/balkans8http://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/18/balkans8


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Sources

Unknown author, “Albanian Rebel Chief Surrenders”, BBC News, May 26th, 2001. Date accessed: July 15, 2015http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1353692.stm

Unknown author. “Southern Serbia (Presevo Valley): The Second Kosovo?” Presheva Jone, no publication dates given, accessedJuly 12, 2015. http://www.preshevajone.com/southern-serbia-presevo-valley-the-second- kosovo

Infoplease Atlas, undated. Date accessed: July 15, 2015 http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/country/kosovo.html

Unknown author, “Albanian, Gheg in Albnania”, Bethany World Prayer Center , undated. Date accessed: July 19th, 20015

http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11880/AL

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brian ghilliotti: albania presentation for us army, training related

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