Jihadist Recruitment Centers Operating From Ljubljana to Tetovo

There are more than 100 Jihadist Recruitment Center operating in the Balkans, most of them in Bosnia-Herzegovina, main Serbian online newspaper Blic wrote.

In addition to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where there are about 64 jihadist training camps, most such cells and recruitment centers are to be found also in Macedonia and Kosovo.

The main Serbian jihadist recruitment stronghold is in Novi Pazar and its environs.

Big Islamist strongholds are to be found in Sjenica, Novi Pazar, Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja.

The two most dangerous recruitment centers in the Balkans are located in Sarajevo and Zenica.

Bosnia-Herzegovina Police listed the village of Podgredina as one of the "most dangerous Wahhabi training spots."

Local people said at the time that they were against Wahhabi's coming to their village.

"The building of this house up in the hill where they worship was financed by some man in Austria and that is where they now congregate. On holidays, there are up to 30 cars up there," one of the local people said.

One of the most notorious Wahhabi strongholds is Gornja Maoca, that is in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the flag of the Islamic State was even raised at one time.

Jihadist recruitment and training centers have reportedly been discovered also in the environs of Ljubljana in Slovenia, in Rijeka and Split in Croatia, in Gusinje, Plav, and Ulcinj in Montenegro, and in Kumanovo and Tetovo in Macedonia.

Last summer, Novi Pazar's Furqan place of worship (mesjid) was identified as a place where radical Islam was being preached. Serbian security services said at the time that this was not a center where fighters were being recruited for the war in Syria but that through it one could establish contract with the fighters.

Serbian Intelligence Agencies Monitor 350 Jihadists Returnees from Iraq and Syria

Serbian Intelligence Agencies compiled a list of about 350 Jihadists from Kosovo and Metohija left to fight in Syria and Iraq, according Politika website.

Igor Becic, the chairman of the Serbian Security Services Control Committee, revealed that "11 jihadists have recently returned from Iraq and Syria".
According Igor Becic, Serbian Intelligence Agencies "have information and operational data as to where they were. They left under the pretext of attending education courses and have documents to prove it".

About 70 went from Sandzak and 17 members of the Chetnik Movement went to fight in the war in Ukraine.

Fighters from Kosovo and Metohija mostly go to fight in foreign wars for financial reasons, while those from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sandzak mostly go for ideological reasons.co

Source within Serbian Intelligence Agencies said that "it is an open secret that jihadists from Serbia are recruited for Syria and Iraq by representatives of illegal agencies that supposedly offer training services for bodyguards and security officers".

Same source revealed that "a foot soldier in Iraq and Syria makes between 1,000 and 2,000 euros. The amount depends on how high up he is in the ISIL hierarchy. If he is a member of a special unit or commands a group, he is paid several thousand euros more".

These fighters first undergo ideological indoctrination, followed by seven days of training in the use of weapons, planting of explosives, sabotage, and so on.

Serbian Intelligence Have Blocked and Expelled Russians for Espionage in Montenegro

Belgrade website Dnevni List Danas revealed that "Serbian Intelligence Agencies have blocked and expelled several Russian nationals for involvement and espionage in preparation of terror operations in Montenegro".

Serbian Intelligence Agency (BIA) and prosecution organs had "isolated" a group of about a dozen people suspected of associating on Serbian territory for the purpose of carrying out operations against the authorities in Montenegro.

"Serbian Intelligence blocked Russian nationals equipped with devices to spy Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic"

According to some local media outlets “the group were equipped with devices to track the movements of Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and with apparatus that blocked the Montenegrin Intelligence Services to locate them”.

This group was not arrested yet but “they were deposed and their surveillance equipment, telephone communication jamming devices, uniforms, and about 125,000 euros, among other things, were seized”.

Until now no concrete link was found between this group and the group of Serbian nationals arrested in Montenegro at the time of the 16 October election.

Serbian government has already completed procedures in connection with the Russian nationals that have been expelled from Serbia.

Balkan Think Tanks: Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS)

The Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) is a non-governmental, non-profit research centre focusing mostly on the functioning of democratic institutions in Albania, Tirana’s EU perspectives and its relations with Kosovo and Serbia.

As an apparently non-profit entity, AIIS totally relies on a conspicuous number of international donors: US, Germany, France, Spain, UK, the European Commission, the Balkan Trust for Democracy, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Open Society Foundation, UNDP and NATO.

Balkan Think Tanks: The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy

The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) was founded in 1997 as the Centre for Civil-Military Relations.

It advocates “human, national, regional and international security based on democracy and respect for human rights” while supporting “the consolidation of security sector reform and integration of Western Balkan countries into the Euro Atlantic community”.

Assessment and reform of security legislation and institutions within Serbia, regional cooperation among security agencies in the Balkans, the country’s accession to EU and NATO and support for the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue are among the issues and activities dealt by the BCSP.

The Think Tank is mostly funded by Western donors, such as the Norwegian government and the Open Society Institute.

Russian Intelligence Will Disclose 552 Spies Paid by Western

In the next few days Russian Intelligence will send a list of 552 spies paid by Western Countries to the Serbian Intelligence.

According Serbian magazine Srpski Telegraf "the Federal Security Service (FSB) will pass a list of 552 collaborators and mercenaries showing that some Western Countries finances many representatives of nongovernmental organizations, journalists, state administration employees, and even some politicians".

Srpski Telegraf's sources in Serbian Intelligence community said that the list "includes at least 3 tycoons, 131 members of various non-governmental organizations, 54 journalists and media workers. As for politicians, as many as 364 persons that work for the West hold the highest positions in some parties, are senior party officials, and employees in state institutions".

Russian Intelligence's file contains informations about "people that make decisions and have the influence to carry out the Western Countries interests. Some of them receive money for their services".

Serbian magazine reported that according Russian Intelligence "there are on plans for radicalizing the Yellow Duck protest in the fall over demolitions in Belgrade's Savamala neighborhood at the site earmarked for building the Belgrade Waterfront project".