U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2005 - Albania
Publisher | United States Department of State |
Author | Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism |
Publication Date | 28 April 2006 |
Cite as | United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2005 - Albania, 28 April 2006, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4681081db.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The Albanian Government continued its efforts to improve its law enforcement and border control security by participating in U.S. Government-sponsored training and technical assistance programs. The Department of Justice's International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) continued to implement the Total Information Management System (TIMS). In 2005, TIMS was expanded to cover all ten of Albania's major border crossings with its four neighboring countries (Italy, Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro) and Kosovo. During the first nine months of 2005, the system helped officials detain 145 wanted persons.
Albania continued to implement provisions of anti-money laundering legislation, with a focus on curtailing the activities of organizations suspected of having links to identified terrorist organizations. Although progress was made in this area, the effectiveness of the government's counterterrorist efforts were hampered by inadequate financial resources, corruption, a lack of fully trained officers responsible for borders and ports, and poor communications and data processing infrastructure.
The International Maritime Organization and U.S. Coast Guard have determined that Albania adequately reported required information and maintained adequate counterterrorism measures for port security and complied with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS).
The government continued to implement its Terrorism Financing Freeze (TFF) law enacted in 2004. Since December 2004, the Albanian Government has frozen the assets of four organizations (Taibah, International Revival of Islamic Heritage Society, Al Haramein, and Global Relief Foundation) and four individuals (Nabil Abdul Saydi, Patricia Rosa Vinck, Yasin Al-Kadi, and Abdul Latif Saleh), all identified by the United Nations as suspected of supporting or funding extremist groups or organizations.
Albania is committed to maintaining its presence in Iraq as long as required. In Afghanistan, Albania deployed 26 troops to ISAF, including four new members of a joint medical unit.