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14 November 2003

State Department on Status of Albanian National Army

"A loosely organized criminal extremist" -- not terrorist - group

Following is the text of a question taken at the November 14 regular State Department briefing on the status of the Albanian National Army; an answer was posted later in the day:

(begin text)

US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
November 14, 2003

TAKEN QUESTION FROM NOVEMBER 14, 2003 DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

STATUS OF ALBANIAN NATIONAL ARMY

Question: Do we consider the Albanian National Army a Foreign Terrorist Organization?

Answer: No, the Albanian National Army (ANA) has not been designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. In May 2003, however, President Bush issued Executive Order 13304 to take additional steps with respect to the continuing, widespread, and illicit actions in the Western Balkans. The Albanian National Army, which poses a threat to peace and stability in the Western Balkans, was designated in the Annex to that Executive Order. Executive Order 13304 blocks the assets of the Albanian National Army in the United States, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons. It further prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in most transactions or dealings with individuals and entities, including the Albanian National Army, designated in or pursuant to the Order.

Question: What kind of organization is the Albanian National Army?

Answer: The Albanian National Army is a loosely organized criminal extremist group that has claimed responsibility for a handful of acts of violence in Macedonia and elsewhere in the Western Balkans in the past year. Its purported violent goals pose a threat to peace and stability in the region. This organization, however, does not have popular support, because its goals are recognizably antithetical to the true interests of the region's ethnic Albanians.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=November&x=20031114182756samohtj0.2430841&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html