MACEDONIAN PAPER VIEWS ACTIVITIES OF ETHNIC
ALBANIAN REBELS
Makedonija Denes - February 22, 2003
"The first more aggressive attack of the Albanian National Army ANA - AKSh in
Albanian will happen in southern Serbia.
It will continue to take actions of urban terrorism wherever it believes that
Albanians are discriminated against, including Macedonia, unless it is prevented
in time," intelligence sources have told Makedonija Denes. Their operational
reports have indicated that "ANA" operates in the same way as the "ONA" National
Liberation Army, NLA - UCK in Albanian did when it first appeared, that is,
through announcements and interviews with its leaders in the Albanian press,
while in the meantime, it is involved in crime and stands behind terrorist
attacks on government institutions. These sources have warned that the real
threat of these armed criminal gangs growing into a paramilitary organization
should not be underestimated. They have indicated, however, that "ANA" still has
no potential to be transformed into a powerful terrorist organization before it
becomes financially and organizationally more powerful and especially before it
has received international support.
"Reports of the existence of armed gangs, which, among other things, are again
taking the liberty to stop and check passengers on highways, are useful for the
security institutions, which should take advantage of the current weakness and
partial lack of coordination of the gangs to avert another war offensive in
Macedonia," intelligence sources have said.
According to them, although there are many dissatisfied members of the former "ONA",
who have failed to join the government or are dissatisfied with the way in which
the rights of Albanians are safeguarded in the "conquered territories", the
Albanian National Army is still not such a well-organized institution that could
alone be in charge of a new military offensive for achieving the ultimate goal
of uniting all Albanians in a single country.
It is therefore necessary to be extremely cautious and to take seriously the
intentions of the gangs, even if they are criminal. "As a state, we have an
opportunity to act in time if we catch the leaders of the groups in Lipkovo,
Matejce and Aracinovo, who are known to the DUI Democratic Union for Integration
- BDI in Albanian , the DPA Democratic Party of Albanians - PDSh in Albanian and
the PDP Party for Democratic Prosperity - PPD in Albanian . We fear the
radicalism of the DPA, whose product - Ali Ahmeti - has become a 'renegade' by
joining the government institutions, which is certainly not in the interest of
DPA leader Arben Xhaferi, who can be very radical in his attempts to return to
power," the sources have told Makedonija Denes.
According to certain operational reports, "ANA" has headquarters in Tirana,
Kosovo and the Presevo Valley, while it is still trying to establish itself more
firmly in Macedonia.
According to the intelligence sources, in Macedonia "ANA" has two training camps
of 300 to 350 members, which were formed in November last year. One of them is
in the Tetovo area, and the other in the Kumanovo area. Our sources have
indicated that the "Albanian National Army" operates through five regional
headquarters in Macedonia, which are located in the villages of Srbinovo in the
Gostivar area, Lojane in the Kumanovo area, the Kicevo village of Papriste, a
village in the Tetovo area, and a village in the Struga area...
Source: Makedonija Denes, Skopje, in Macedonian
0000 gmt 21 Feb 03
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