Ex-Kosovo rebel army planned to engage in terrorist acts - Montenegrin official

BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - November 7, 2006, Tuesday

 

Excerpt from report by R.T. entitled "They invited KLA to set Malesija on fire", published by Montenegrin newspaper Vijesti on 6 November

 

Podgorica - So far the investigation has confirmed suspicions that those arrested on 9 and 10 September during the Eagle's Flight operation had formed a secret organization whose objective was to set up regions in this area using force. They intended to conduct several terrorist actions in the Malesija area [area near Podgorica mostly inhabited by Albanians]. They were supposed to be helped by former members of the KLA [Kosovo Liberation Army - UCK in Albanian] who intended to cross the border illegally, collect hidden weapons and initiate terrorist activities.

 

This is what Supreme State Prosecutor Vesna Medenica stated last night, after deciding to remove the confidential tag from the case and publicize the findings. According to the statement, she did this because "a groundless discussion based on manipulation of pre-trial investigation facts was initiated in media, creating a wrong picture regarding both how justified and how legal the action was".

 

[Passage omitted: Previously reported details of the police action]

 

"The organization was extensively communicating in the area of Malesija, Albania and Kosovo, remaining faithful to its goals. Thanks to this and to financial help provided by members of the diaspora, they managed to procure significant quantities of firearms, ammunition, military equipment, forged documents and other things needed to launch violent terrorist actions.

 

"The organization established ties to some of the former KLA fighters and tried to use this channel to procure weapons. The KLA members offered to directly lead and command the terrorist actions in the Malesija area. The weapons were carefully hidden in secret places and it was possible to collect and use them immediately. They acquired the weapons through various smuggling channels.

 

During September 2006 they decided to start with violence, i.e. with terrorist actions in the Karabusko Polje area in Malesija. The objective was to intimidate the non-Albanian population and to seize vital facilities in the Tuzi area.

 

"They decided that the best time for this was immediately after the polling stations were closed on 10 September, when the parliamentary elections and also the municipal elections and the Podgorica city council elections were held in Tuzi. They decided that the period immediately after the election was optimal as far as the goals of the terrorist group were concerned.

 

"They reached an agreement with the former KLA members, who were supposed to illegally cross into Malesija on 9 and 10 September 2006, hide there and lead terrorist actions after the elections were over. They had very detailed action plans.

 

"The public knows about the seized weapons, ammunition, equipment and other confiscated objects. The Office of the Supreme State Prosecutor of the Republic of Montenegro will continue to issue new statements that will help keep the public informed," the statement issued by the supreme state prosecutor says.

 

Source: Vijesti, Podgorica, in Serbian 6 Nov 06 p9