Current Tactics of al Qaeda-linked Groups in Macedonia, Kosovo

A recent interview with European terror expert Claude Moniquet – which states that parts of Macedonia are currently being used by Al Qaeda-linked terrorist “sleeper” cells – is remarkable, in that it is one of the only such admissions to have ever been made by a spokesman for the “international community” in Macedonia’s modern history. It is certainly the most sensational.

Moniquet’s organization, the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center in Brussels, was set up at about the same time NATO Spokesman Mark Laity was mocking the Macedonians, saying “…I am slightly concerned because a Mujahedin has just entered the room. He is even wearing combats. I hope that's just a camera. Just don't point it at me too obviously.” We should all thank NATO for preserving its ill-fated arrogance for posterity.

Moniquet’s charge confirms information received by us over the past year. It pointed to two fundamental goals for Balkan-based terrorists: one, gain a springboard for entrance into Greece during the Olympics; and two, develop logistical supply routes throughout Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia to the West. However, the lack of high-priority targets and the usefulness of securing quiet staging posts has kept the Islamists from unleashing attacks in the region.

Due in part to new cooperation between occasionally hostile authorities from Greece, Albania and Macedonia, the Olympics went off without a hitch. Of course, it was not in the interests of the Greek government to spread fear by pointing out the threat. Since nothing happened in the end, the government ignored the story. However, in the months preceding the Olympics strong and coordinated attention was brought to bear on activities in the tri-border area. In certain cases this did lead to specific actions.

While unrest and disdain for UNMIK continue to fester in Kosovo, the new Haradinaj government is expected to push hard for independence. Until now, the entreaties of foreign mujahedin have been ignored by secular Albanian freedom fighters, out of a desire to avoid bad public relations with the West. However, if the West starts to be seen as an impediment to independence, cooperation between the two restive factions will increase. The period from March-May has been widely cited as the one to watch for new outbreaks of violence in the internationally-administered province.

For now, however, the internationals feel that they have a handle on the situation. Most individuals suspected of al Qaeda ties are under constant surveillance from American and scores of other intelligence services. Arab countries are eager to show their devotion to the Americans and in some cases are even harder on their own people than the Americans are in Kosovo.

The stronghold of the main al Qaeda-affiliated organization is in Prizren, the major town in southwestern Kosovo. Terrorist backers have benefited from the fact that KFOR attention has been focused on flashpoint areas like Mitrovica- far away to the north. A recent report from Serbia’s NIN, citing German intelligence officials, stated that Albanian tactics during the March 17-19 riots were to divert attention to places like Mitrovica – thus allowing the southwest of Kosovo to be ravaged with impunity.

While UNMIK believes it has most suspected terrorists under watch, they cannot exclude finding newcomers. In the past, this has led to innocent people being arrested, simply for being Muslim. The authorities seem to have taken a better safe than sorry policy.

Nevertheless, in the end the goals of the al Qaeda “sleeper” cells and Kosovo’s secular freedom-fighters intertwine. This is because both require organized crime and a lawless environment to flourish. The former need cash to perpetuate and expand their operations. The latter strive to make “business” with anyone who will cooperate, ideology be damned.

In addition to the old standbys of drugs and weapons smuggling, more sophisticated forms of money laundering are currently being attempted by terrorist backers eager to keep their activities under the radar in an increasingly tense Kosovo.

RM: Mr. Moniquet, are there any terrorist organizations in Macedonia?

CM: We have no possibility to say that there is a terrorist organization in Macedonia. What we are quite sure is that in Macedonia--as in other parts of the Balkans--there are terrorist cells of a small network. Between 10 and 100 people who are dangerous and linked to terrorist organizations currently reside in Macedonia. But I don't think we can speak at the moment of an organization, because that is something bigger.

RM: Is this cell linked to al-Qaeda?

CM: It is almost difficult to speak about links to al-Qaeda, because Al-Qaeda is something strange. A lot of journalists see that al-Qaeda is everywhere in the world, but of course al-Qaeda is not everywhere. What we find in several countries in the world is organization linked to al-Qaeda. For example, in Western Europe we have Moroccan striking group that attacked Casablanca and Madrid last March. This group is not al-Qaeda, but it is linked in the scenario of goals, and they share some actions and targets. In a way, we can say that we have people linked to al-Qaeda in Macedonia, but it must be not understood that there are some people linked directly to Mr. Bin Laden.

RM: What are these dangerous people in Macedonia? Are they mujahedins, or local people?

CM: Usually what we see is that at the beginning we have two kinds of people: people coming from foreign countries, usually the Middle East, who attempt to form local cells; and we have local people, for example Chechens, Algerians, Pakistani. We might have a mix of local people and foreigners.

RM: You're saying that there is a financial link between local criminal gangs and al-Qaeda. Can you be more specific what is this financial link?

CM: Yes, absolutely. It's something that we can observe in the last 2-3 years everywhere in the world. The link between jihadis, the Islamist terrorists, and the petty crime, even organized crime is quite important. The terrorists use some criminal organizations to get false papers, arms, ammunition, and explosives. They used them to travel, to infiltrate people in some countries. This was proved in some cases in Europe and United States. At the same time, some people in the criminal organizations from Arabic origin in Western Europe, for example Moroccans in Belgium or France, try to be involved in the Jihad. They are the link between the organized crime and the radical Islamists, the fundamentalists. Sometimes they cross over just for personal benefit and money, but sometimes they could really help the terrorists or become terrorists. That is something that we have observed for 2-3 years.

RM: Are you saying that this is happening in Macedonia too?

CM: Yes, it's happening everywhere. For example, if you take Bosnia, we had a case of Frenchman who was mujahedin, but also a gangster who attacked oil stations to get money. It is sometimes difficult to make a difference between a terrorist and a gangster

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.