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Report Warns of Hizbullah, Iran Threats in Balkans

(Jerusalem Post) Benjamin Weinthal - A new report, titled "Israeli Security Concerns and the Balkans" by Chris Deliso was published last month on the website Balkanalysis.com. Dr. Ely Karmon, senior research scholar at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya, was quoted in the study as saying that "there is a clear pattern. Iran begins [in small countries] with diplomatic relations, investment promises and cultural relations. But all Iranian diplomatic and cultural activities carried out are under the control of their intelligence services." "For Iran, the Balkans is a good platform for two reasons. First, countries like Bosnia have already been long penetrated. Second, the local security and law enforcement are not sufficiently prepared for an adversary like Iran." Yossi Melman, a veteran Israeli journalist on intelligence and strategic affairs, said, "Israeli agencies know that Iran's MOIS [Ministry of Intelligence and Security] and the Quds Force [a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for foreign operations] have established sleeper cells of agents and they try to locate weak links in the European chain. One such weak link is the Balkans." He added that "excellent cooperation" exists between Israel and local Balkan intelligence services.
2013-04-12 00:00:00
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