Albania: Instances of Muslim extremists targeting members of the Albanian military forces, including soldiers who formerly served in Iraq with US peacekeeping forces (2004-February 2015)

Information on instances of Muslim extremists targeting members of the Albanian military forces, including soldiers who formerly served in Iraq with US peacekeeping forces, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Director of the Centre for European and Security Affairs (CESA), a think tank based in Tirana [1], explained that, in his view, the "main focus" of Wahhabi and Salafist groups in Albania "has been to promote their version of Islam in Albania" and increase their influence over the Albanian Muslim community (CESA 15 Feb. 2015). The Director of CESA indicated, however, that "no violent group or faction has emerged" in Albania apart from those Albanians who have left to join Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) [also Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, ISIS; Islamic State, IS] (ibid.). Similarly, in a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a researcher and country expert on Albania for Freedom House indicated that there has been "growing concern" in Albania about a "small number" of Albanian Muslims joining "radicalized" groups that support ISIS, or volunteering to join opposition forces in Syria, but the activities of these groups have not been carried out in Albania, but in Syria (Researcher 17 Feb. 2015). According to the researcher, as far as the source is aware, "they are not organized in a formal sense," but more likely met through a mosque and later became radicalized and volunteered to go to Syria to fight ((ibid.). Sources report that some Albanians have travelled to join ISIS in Syria (CESA 15 Feb. 2015; Balkan Insight 31 July 2014; Reuters 11 Mar. 2014). Moreover, Albanian authorities reportedly arrested seven people, including two imams, for recruiting fighters to go to Syria, according to Reuters (ibid.). The Albanians who have joined ISIS have been described by sources as "a small number" of recruits (ibid.; Researcher 17 Feb. 2015).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Note

[1] The Director of CESA has focused his research on security sector reform, national and international security, intelligence, democratic governance and political parties, and he has previously held positions within the Albanian government (CESA 15 Feb. 2015). CESA is a program area within the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), a non-governmental think tank with expertise in European Union enlargement with a specific focus on the accession of the Western Balkans, governance, civil society, and security issues (IMD n.d.). IMD donors and partners include the US and Dutch embassies in Tirana, the UN Development Programme in Albania, and the Open Society Foundation of Albania, among others (ibid.)

References

Balkan Insight. 31 July 2014. Besar Likmeta. "Jihadist's Beheading Photos Shock Kosovo." [Accessed 11 Feb. 2015]

Center for European and Security Affairs (CESA), 15 February 2015. Correspondence from the Director to the Research Directorate.

Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IMD). N.d. "About IDM." [Accessed 16 Feb. 2015]

Researcher. 17 February 2015. Telephone interview.

Reuters. 11 March 2014. Benet Koleka. "Albania Holds Seven Accused of Sending Fighters to Syria." [Accessed 10 Feb. 2015]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: The following were unable to provide information for this Response: Research Assistant, John Jay College of Criminal Justice who focuses on Islam in Kosovo/Albania; Assistant Professor of sociology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; post-doctoral fellow, York University, who has published work on Islam in Albania; Professor of Balkan history, Oxford University; Professor of history, Georgia Regents University; Professor, Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade; Senior Advisor, Research Institute for European and American Studies in Athens.

Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Albania - Albanian Armed Forces, Albanian State Police, embassies in Ottawa and Italy, Ministry of Defence, People's Advocate; Albanian Center for Human Rights; Albanian Human Rights Group; Europol; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Albania; Professor of history, Indiana University-Purdue; researcher, Kosovar Center for Security Studies; specialist in European Affairs at the Congressional Research Service; two investigative journalists and a law firm in Albania.

Internet sites, including: Albania - Albanian Armed Forces, Albanian Telegraphic Agency, Ministry of Defence; Albanian Daily News; Albeu; Al Jazeera; Al-Monitor; Amnesty International; Associated Press; Balkanalysis.com; British Broadcasting Corporation; Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy, West Point; Deutsche Welle; Ecoi.net; European Movement in Albania; Factiva; Freedom House; Global Terrorism Database; Human Rights Watch; Institute for Democracy and Mediation; International Crisis Group; Interpol; IRIN; Pew Research Center; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Reuters; Southeast European Times; Terrorism and Research Analysis Consortium; United Nations - Refworld; United States - Commission on International Religious Freedom, Congressional Research Service, Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council; Voice of America.