GLOBAL VIEW NEWS. Sept.16, 2011

Interior Minister: U.S. ambassador Withers lied

The Albanian Interior Minister defended his underling Kuliqi in a hearing before the parliamentary commission for the national security. He said that the U.S. ambassador lied in his cables sent to the Department of State, because the Director of Police, Burgaj, never spoke with him about Kuliqi. The latter is a high-ranking official in the ministry of the interior and is publicly accused by the opposition and the former minister of Economy, Dritan Prifti, as being involved in corruptive and criminal activity. The cables sent by Withers to Washington also expressed concern about the Kuliqi’s behavior and his ties to the criminal world. Kuliqi is prime minister Berisha’s relative and former bodyguard. The cables reveal that the General Director of Police told the ambassador that he has his hands tied with regard to the Kuliqi’s sacking, because Berisha would never allow it.

Two battered employees receive death threats

The two Tirana City Hall’s female employees, who were assaulted and beaten by the Chief of Municipal Police, Florenc Hoxha, a few days ago, received life-threatening SMS-s yesterday, shortly after sending a petition to the Prosecutor General. In their petition they demanded that their battery cases be investigated as soon as possible. Few minutes later a message arrived simultaneously on their cell phones where the sender wrote that “his punches on the stomach were not enough, next time he will come and kill them”.  

Tensions Rise In Northern Kosovo. NATO chief urges calm

 Tensions are rising in the north of Kosovo as Pristina's mainly ethnic Albanian rulers try to assert control over a slice of the north mainly populated by ethnic Serbs. Kosovo Prime Minister hashim Thaçi said the government will never back down from implementing the plan to install police and customs officers at two border posts in the north.

“This plan is intented to provide security and order over all Kosovo territory – he said – and is not directed to any community”

NATO chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for calm from all communities while on a visit in Kosovo. “There can be no turning back. NATO has spent 12 years ensuring stability and security. We will not allow that achievement to be put at risk,” he said, in his first visit to the region since the NATO-led KFOR troops stepped in to quell violent clashes following a trade row late July.

Serbian President Boris Tadic warned at a news conference in Belgrade that such a move could spark tensions.  "Any deployment of representatives of the so-called Kosovo customs, Kosovo's security forces, or so-called border service to administrative crossings would represent an instant violation of the neutral status of these institutions ( KFOR and EULEX), a violation of all international decisions and decisions of the Security Council," he said.

 Denmark elects first woman PM 

Social Democrat leader Thorning-Schmidt becomes the first woman to be elected Prime Minister in Denmark after center-left bloc led by her gained a narrow victory in the general elections yesterday. This victory ended 10-year holding of power by “Blue Bloc” led by Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who publicly admitted defeat.

"We did it... today we've written history," Ms Thorning-Schmidt told jubilant supporters.

Mr Rasmussen said he had called Ms Thorning-Schmidt to congratulate her, but added: "Tonight I hand over the keys to the prime minister's office to Helle Thorning-Schmidt. And dear Helle, take good care of them. You're only borrowing them."

The country has seen its worst economic downturn since World War II. Although Denmark is a member of the EU, it has chosen not to adopt the euro.

Alfred Kola