SHIK

[Magda Hassan]

Kosovo Parliament to Investigate on Illegal Secret Service SHIK

Author: Korrik Sofalia
Published: April 24, 2011 at 5:06 am


Following an initiative of the "Alliance for the future of Kosovo" (AAK), the parliament of Kosovo will investigate on the activities of the informal Kosovo-Albanian war-time and post-war secret service organization SHIK (resp. K-SHIK, to distinguish it from the Albanian intelligence agency).
Florin Krasniqi, head of the parliamentarian committee for the supervision of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA), by Kosovar media was quoted as saying he would "go till the end and find out the truth about the 10 years of work done by SHIK". In this context MP Krasniqi, who belongs to the oppositional "Movement for Self-Determi-nation" (LVV), emphasized the need to establish an according investigating committee, addressing "SHIK's past and all its files".
The current decision was preceded by strong rejection of several MPs of the "Democratic Party of Kosovo" (PDK): PDK MP and former SHIK member Bekim Haxhiu-Kamishi, even requested the dismissal of intelligence-committee head Krasniqi. Haxhiu accused MP Krasniqi to have violated the confidentiality declaration of the committee with a statement during a parliament session, saying "not enough funds were allocated for the Kosovo Intelligence Agency because the Government is not interested in the KIA as long as it has SHIK". By this Krasniqi stressed doubts in terms of possibly existing parallel illegal intelligence structures.
However, Haxhiu's request to remove Krasniqi was refused by the majority of the committee members. Further on a large group of Kosovar MPs now supports the proposal to investigate SHIK's activities. [/url]
[url=http://www.pressonline.com.mk/default-en.asp?ItemID=F8FD773BBA13794E8FFF7E47CF989AD0]The SHIK was briefly said - the intelligence unit of the former Kosovo Liberation Army KLA (UCK). Considering this background, observers of the political scene in Kosovo expressed surprise about the announced support even of MPs belonging to the ruling PDK and the oppositional "Alliance for the future of Kosovo" (AAK), as to the fact that both political parties emerged from the KLA in different regions of Kosovo after the war.

Reportedly the director as well as the general inspector of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA) will be questioned soon: "... I will hand them some written questions and I will expect their response", Krasniqi said.
Questions about the activities of the Kosovan SHIK were raised repeatedly over the years. After the secession from Serbia, different reports refer to assassinations against politicians of the "Democrtaic League of Kosovo" (LDK), allegedly backed by SHIK members - in support of the political party PDK of Kosovo PM Thaci.
Although still not officially proven, accusations against SHIK are seemingly taken serious: Kosovar media lately made public the transfer of Kadri Arifi from his post as assistant director of the Kosovo police investigation unit to the position of assistant director of personnel and training within the police administration. Reportedly this happened by pressure of EU and USA, due to Arifi's alleged involvement in SHIK.


Several interviews with SHIK "officials" give reason to consider SHIK structures as still being active parallel to the official Kosovo Intelligence Agency. Two former prime ministers of Kosovo, Bajram Rexhepi (PDK) and Bajram Kosumi (AAK), confirmed contacts with SHIK head Kadri Veseli during their time in office despite knowing, that SHIK was not anymore part of the legal framework of Kosovo.

http://technorati.com/politics/article/k...n-illegal/