ANA claims support "throughout Kosovo"

The Albanian National Army (ANA) says it has broad support in the province, including from politicians.

Izvor: B92

Thursday, 22.11.2007.

09:36

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The Albanian National Army (ANA) says it has broad support in the province, including from politicians. The group, outlawed and branded terrorist by UNMIK in 2003, after they organized a bomb attack on a passenger train in northern Kosovo, was quoted by The Associated Press Wednesday as saying it was "prepared to fight off any threats from armed Serb groups." ANA claims support "throughout Kosovo" Gafur Adili, who introduced himself as the head of "ANA's political wing", the Front for Albanian National Union, said the group had "fighters and supporters in every corner of Kosovo, in every community, village, town, even in parliament, the old or the new one." The masked, armed men, who identified themselves as ANA members, earlier this month said they recruited new members and patrolled roads in northern Kosovo, stopping vehicles. They said at the time their activity, outlawed by the UN administration in the province, "came in response to the Serb Guard of Tzar Lazar." The Serb group has been banned in Kosovo, and is making announcements from Serbia proper, including Wednesday when they called on Serbian lawmakers in Belgrade to "mobilize for war." But the authorities say the group is not armed and "does not represent a threat to Serbia's stability." Meanwhile in Kosovo, Adili told the AP, "If they enter Kosovo we are ready to confront with them militarily." "It would not be easy for us if Serbia, the government, would attack Kosovo, but these paramilitaries are no problem for us," he added. The ANA, which aims to "unify all Balkan territories inhabited by ethnic Albanians", has claimed responsibility for various attacks in Macedonia, southern Serbia proper and Kosovo over several years, the AP said. "At this moment we are focused on Kosovo, and [ethnic] Albanians from wherever they live, including the Diaspora, would respond to our call," Adili claimed. Adili has been living in Albania since 2003, when he was arrested there on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to seven months in prison. He has been stripped of his citizenship by Switzerland, where his family still lives. Albanian authorities have not given him a passport, and he has been banned from leaving the country.

ANA claims support "throughout Kosovo"

Gafur Adili, who introduced himself as the head of "ANA's political wing", the Front for Albanian National Union, said the group had "fighters and supporters in every corner of Kosovo, in every community, village, town, even in parliament, the old or the new one."

The masked, armed men, who identified themselves as ANA members, earlier this month said they recruited new members and patrolled roads in northern Kosovo, stopping vehicles.

They said at the time their activity, outlawed by the UN administration in the province, "came in response to the Serb Guard of Tzar Lazar."

The Serb group has been banned in Kosovo, and is making announcements from Serbia proper, including Wednesday when they called on Serbian lawmakers in Belgrade to "mobilize for war."

But the authorities say the group is not armed and "does not represent a threat to Serbia's stability."

Meanwhile in Kosovo, Adili told the AP, "If they enter Kosovo we are ready to confront with them militarily."

"It would not be easy for us if Serbia, the government, would attack Kosovo, but these paramilitaries are no problem for us," he added.

The ANA, which aims to "unify all Balkan territories inhabited by ethnic Albanians", has claimed responsibility for various attacks in Macedonia, southern Serbia proper and Kosovo over several years, the AP said.

"At this moment we are focused on Kosovo, and [ethnic] Albanians from wherever they live, including the Diaspora, would respond to our call," Adili claimed.

Adili has been living in Albania since 2003, when he was arrested there on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to seven months in prison.

He has been stripped of his citizenship by Switzerland, where his family still lives.

Albanian authorities have not given him a passport, and he has been banned from leaving the country.

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