How did ISIS reach the western Balkans?

The United States is pushing Serbs and Bosniaks towards war while simultaneously supporting Albanian-Islamist narratives. The Americans are, in fact, supporting chaos in Europe, says security expert Dževad Galijašević in an interview with RT Balkan.

The choice of an Albanian to carry out a terrorist act at a concert by global music star Taylor Swift in Vienna is not a coincidence, according to Galijašević.

An Albanian from North Macedonia was arrested for planning a terrorist attack (with a bomb or knife) at Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna. He had pledged allegiance to the militant Islamic State, according to local police, as reported by Reuters. He admitted his guilt and allegedly stated that he wanted to kill infidels.

“Every terrorist act or attempted act is the work of an organized group with its own ideology. Behind the individual or individuals who carry out these acts, there is always a powerful organized group that provides logistics, training, weapons, and money to bring the attack to fruition,” explains Galijašević.

According to Galijašević, it is evident that hybrid operations are intensifying, with significant pressure on the political systems of Balkan states, particularly on Serbia and Republika Srpska, and that the threat of terrorism is on the rise.

One example of a hybrid operation is the recent case where the SDA, founded by the author of the Islamic Declaration, Alija Izetbegović, blocked EU funds and, together with the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo, tried to blame Republika Srpska for it.

“The SDA is a key factor in the activities of extremist groups in the Balkans, both through the political system and security structures. All these extremists and movements have always been part of their political agenda, in the spirit of the Islamic Declaration written by Alija Izetbegović, all with the knowledge and tacit, sometimes even public, support of the United States,” Galijašević points out, adding, “BiH is the most important base of global terrorism with the knowledge of the West. Now, however, they are trying to install and awaken these Wahhabi sentiments in Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia.”

It is well known that during the 1990s, Mujahideen had their units in the war in Bosnia, with some later going to Syria and other Middle Eastern battlefields, while others remained in BiH, where they still conduct training and have their camps.

According to Galijašević, the United States is pushing Serbs and Bosniaks towards war while also supporting Albanian-Islamist narratives. The Americans are actually supporting chaos in Europe, and Germany, despite not needing such a situation in Europe, indirectly supports it by their stance.

“Islamism arrived late in Albania, where the primary concerns are nation, language, and state, and on those bases, they try to develop Islamist sentiments. This was evident in the 1990s when certain Islamist organizations were formed in Kosovo* and Albania, but it is clear that Albanians remain focused on how to occupy Kosovo*, separate it, and unite it with Albania, followed by Macedonia and eventually Montenegro,” the security expert explains.

When asked why an Albanian was chosen to carry out the terrorist act at a Taylor Swift concert and what connection Vienna has with Kosovo*, Galijašević explains the connection between radical Islamists in Europe.

“Albanians have previously carried out terrorist attacks in Vienna, and since the 1990s wars, Vienna has become a center of Wahhabism for that part of Europe. Albanians who adopted that ideology have operated from Vienna towards Kosovo, promoting Islamic radicalization. At the same time, they opposed Western civilization, setting an example for their neighbors in Kosovo, which is why an Albanian was chosen,” explains Galijašević, adding, “By executing a planned action or using an explosive device in Vienna, the terrorist seeks to ignite an identity-based explosion in Albania, Kosovo*, and North Macedonia. He wants to accelerate the Albanian people’s slow process of Islamic radicalization.”

Galijašević points out that there are more such roles, citing the example of the killed terrorist Faton Hajriz, who shot a Serb police officer, as well as the radical Islamist who was killed after wounding a member of the gendarmerie in front of the Israeli embassy in Belgrade.

“They are aware they will face consequences, that they may be caught and might not survive the action, but they still proceed. A fanatic is the best and cheapest soldier. All you need to do is convince him of the righteousness of the action he’s undertaking in the name of Wahhabism, and you don’t even have to pay him much. He no longer questions it,” Galijašević explains.

In the context of recent events in Kosovo*, where pressures on the Serb population are increasing, all Serb institutions are being abolished, and life for Serbs is being made impossible, Galijašević says that the goal is not just “Kosovo’s* statehood,” but also the complete eradication of Serbs.

“This is why terrorist actions are carried out, why people are radicalized, and why examples of terrorist attacks around the world are being brought to Kosovo to ultimately radicalize Kosovo and erase any trace of Serb existence in those areas because the Serbs are witnesses to the tradition, culture, and existence of the Serb state in those areas long before the arrival of the Albanians,” Galijašević points out.

In the media and on social networks, it has been reported that the parents of the arrested young man are Albanians from North Macedonia. It is also pointed out that the person who carried out the shooting in Vienna in 2020, killing four people, had the same origin.

Source: RTRS