SECURITY SERVICES IN THE BALKANS AND EUROPE MUST BE FULLY ALERTED

BELGRADE, MARCH 5 /SRNA/ – Political scientist specializing in religious extremism Milan Vukelić told SRNA that the spillover of the Middle East conflict into Europe is a realistic possibility, pointing out that, due to the risk of terrorism attcks, the security services of European countries, including those in the Balkans, must remain on full alert in the coming period.

"Special attention should certainly be paid to synagogues, as well as diplomatic and military missions of the United States and Israel and their personnel, but also to civilian facilities such as companies, factories, and organisations that have American or Israeli capital or are under their control," Vukelić said. He says that online radicalisation is also expected and should be closely monitored. Vukelić noted that there are numerous Islamic centres and organisations in the region that could potentially serve as a cover for individuals ready to carry out terrorist attacks in the name of retaliation for the Middle East events. "It is important to emphasize that a situation dominated by hopelessness and fear generally creates fertile ground for the activities of terrorist organisations," he said. Vukelić stated that the Lebanese Hezbollah is not the only one that could operate in Europe, and that Islamic State could also take advantage of the current situation in the Middle East to carry out terrorist attacks in European cities. He stressed that the greatest threat comes from unconventional participants, namely terrorist cells, among which Hezbollah stands out due to its extensive network and supporters across many European countries. Vukelić recalled numerous sources indicating that Iran provided military and logistical support to the so-called Army of BiH during the war in the 1990s, and later also supported the Kosovo Liberation Army. "The reason is clear: Iran viewed the territory of BiH, as well as Kosovo and Metohija, as ideal ground for spreading Shiite influence, first across the Balkan Peninsula and later to the rest of Europe," he said. It is not a secret, Vukelić says, that Hezbollah members were present in BiH during the war and that the organisation never hid its support for Balkan Muslims in the war against "infidels". He recalled the writings of British journalist Robert Fisk, who reported that during the BiH war around 150 Hezbollah members were among the first fighters from the Middle East to arrive and support the struggle of their "Bosnian brothers in faith". Vukelić assessed that the open conflict that escalated across the Middle East at the end of February between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other has the potential to spread to European soil. He also noted that on March 1 Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa calling for jihad against the United States and Israel after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating that believers have a duty to avenge the "blood of the martyr". Vukelić told SRNA that the call to fight in the path of Allah applies to Muslim believers regardless of where they are, warning that the risk for Europe is already visible through the attack on a British military base in Cyprus. He added that Hezbollah's activities in Europe are mostly linked to criminal networks used to finance the organisation, but the possibility of terrorist attacks must not be underestimated, something security experts in Germany have also warned about following this fatwa.