EUROPOL HEAD WARNS OF TERRORISM THREAT IN BALKANS AT MEETING IN SERBIAN CAPITAL
BBC Monitoring International Reports - June 8, 2006 Thursday

Text of report by Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA

Belgrade, 8 June: Europol [European Police Office] director Max Peter Ratzel has warned that there is still a great danger of Islamic extremism and terrorism in the Balkans and that there are arms caches which are being used for terrorist activities.

"Europol shares the EU's belief that there will be more terrorist attacks, while the Balkans is an area where people can be found for such activities," Ratzel told SRNA in Belgrade, underlining that the exchange of information and knowledge on this was very important, as well as preventative actions.

He said Europol has established that the micro-financial element was very significant and it has been confirmed that money from certain criminal activities has been used to finance terrorism.

Ratzel is taking part in the work of the regional conference of EU liaison officers for the Western Balkans.

Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1140 gmt 8 Jun 06

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Copyright 2006 BBC Monitoring/BBC Source: Financial Times Information Limited

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