WRITTEN QUESTION E-3308/01 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Terrorist cells in the Balkans.
Date: 2001-11-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Western Balkans, exchange of information, international affairs, terrorism

C 172 E/36

Official Journal of the European Communities

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18.7.2002

(2002/C 172 E/039)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3308/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 November 2001)

Subject: Terrorist cells in the Balkans

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Osama bin Laden visited the Balkans three times
between 1994 and 1996, and it has been widely reported by foreign news agencies that he holds a
Bosnian passport issued in 1993 by the Bosnian Embassy in Vienna. Moreover,
in 1997 the Bosnian
government granted Bosnian nationality and a passport to Mehrez Amdouni, a close associate of bin Laden,
who had fought in Bosnia at the beginning of the 1990s. Amdouni was arrested at Interpol’s behest on
charges of participating in terrorist activities.

According to a report that appeared in the Sunday Times (November 1998) bin Laden ran a terrorist
network in Albania which carried out operations in Kosovo. Fatos Klosi, the head of the Albanian secret
service, told the newspaper that the network was run by the Saudi citizen Osama bin Laden and that he
sent units to fight in Kosovo. Allegations of bin Laden’s ties with Albania were confirmed at the murder
trial of Claude Kader who was a member of the bin Laden’s Albanian network when Mr Kader revealed
that bin Laden had visited Albania between 1996 and 1997.

According to a report in the Washington Times, bin Laden donated $ 7 million to the Kosovo Liberation
Army (KLA), and many KLA members are supposed to have been trained in al-Qa’ida’s terrorist camps.
Furthermore, Jamal al-Fadl : an al-Qa’ida member accused of bombing the US embassies in East Africa :
stated at his trial in February 2001 that tests were carried out with uranium in the occupied part of Cyprus
in 1994 to make ‘dirty bombs’ which spread deadly radioactivity.

1.

Does the Commission have any information to corroborate this information and if so, what is it?

2. What does it intend to do to shed light on this mass of information relating to the activities of
terrorist cells in the Balkans which allegedly have close ties with al-Qa’ida?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(22 January 2002)

Following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 the alleged links between the former authorities in
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and suspected terrorists from Islamic countries have been high on the
agenda of both local and international media. In early 2000, the BiH Council of Ministers established the
‘Commission for Revision of the Status of Naturalised BiH Citizens’ to investigate cases of passports which
may have been irregularly issued. The Commission has now finalised its screening for the war-time period
1992-1995, and as a result, the citizenship of 94 naturalised Bosnians has been revoked. A similar
procedure is underway for the post-war period.

The findings of this Commission confirm the assurances of the BiH authorities that Osama bin Laden was
never granted a BiH passport. Although it cannot be excluded that Osama bin Laden or any of his
associates stayed in BiH during the war, so far no credible evidence has been produced to prove these
allegations. Prior to 11 September 2001 the number of so-called ‘Mujahedeen’ in BiH was estimated at a
couple of hundred.

On alleged activities in Kosovo, the Commission has no information and suggests that the question should
be addressed to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and the peacekeeping force in Kosovo (UNMiK and
KFOR).

As regards Albania, the Commission has not the necessary elements to corroborate the information to
which the Honourable Member refers. However, the Commission has been assured by the Albanian

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authorities, on various occasions this year, that there is no terrorist or paramilitary activity on its territory.
Moreover, following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, Albania has shown full commitment in the
fight against terrorism, and has supported the United States and Union positions.

(2002/C 172 E/040)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3319/01

by Nirj Deva (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 November 2001)

Subject: Ian Stillman

Given the ongoing concerns about the case of Ian Stillman, a British charity worker who has been facing
trial in Shilma, India, a trial that has been delayed on numerous occasions, what has the Commission done
to apply pressure to the Indian Government so as to ensure this case is heard fairly and quickly?
Particularly in the light of the fact that that Mr Stillman is profoundly deaf and is one-legged. He has
recently been moved into a cell that is too small to fit his wheelchair.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2001)

The Commission is aware of the case of Mr Ian Stillman, a disabled charity worker who has been
sentenced to ten years imprisonment in India. It fully shares the concerns of the honourable member over
the circumstances of his arrest and his detention conditions.

Before Mr Stillman’s appeal trial was due (on 24 September 2001), the Commission had, via its Delegation
in New Delhi, written to the Indian National Human Rights Commission for an update on his health and
detention conditions.

The Commission’s Delegation was informed that Mr Stillman’s case is being followed by M. S.C. Verma,
Registrar, who has contacted the District Magistrate of Nahan, the district where Mr Stillman is being
detained. A further update on his detention conditions is awaited.

The Commission has also discussed Mr Stillman’s case with representatives from the organisation ‘Fair
Trials Abroad’, who visited Brussels this September.

Now that the Indian authorities seem to have delayed the appeal, the Commission will contact the Indian
Human Rights Commission again and will continue to closely follow the developments in this case.

(2002/C 172 E/041)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3326/01

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(30 November 2001)

Subject: European Commission proposals to downsize its Delegation in Trinidad and Tobago

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has been informed that, following a review and reassessment of
external representation, the European Commission proposes to downsize its representation in Port of
Spain. The government is concerned and feels penalised.

The assessment carried out by the Commission severely underestimated the Delegation’s workload,
focussing as it did on the criterion of ‘expenditure on national programmes’ as a performance measure,