Spy "maze" in Kosovo and Metohija: Group working against Serbs and in favor of Kurti?

Out of the several intelligence services that operate intensively in Kosovo and Metohija, one group of intelligence officers differs from all others.

Source: Blic Friday, 15.10.2021. | 09:35

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Foto: Tanjug/AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic

Namely, according to the media, that group sends exclusively reports to its headquarters, which are negatively intoned towards Serbs and the north of Kosovo. Such intelligence is also used as a cover for approving the actions of the Prime Minister of self-proclaimed Kosovo, Albin Kurti, through special units in the north of Kosovo. Those actions - which often develop into a brutal attack on the Serb community in the north, such as the last one on Wednesday - are carried out according to a certain "algorithm" and so far, none have been carried out without following every step of the algorithm before crossing the Ibar bridge", Blic states.

Head of the Kosovo Police first informs the competent minister about the "need" for the use of special units and operations in the north. Minister then informs the Prime Minister of Pristina, and here we come to the key moment. The Prime Minister is obliged to inform the Quint countries (France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States) about the plan in advance, before the action took place.

"Blic" wrote about the part of the intelligence mosaic in Kosovo and Metohija, how some intelligence groups behave, what they write in reports on Serbian communities and whose support the Prime Minister can count on to carry out actions of Kosovo's PM, Albin Kurti.

This paper states that their interlocutor is a KFOR officer from one of the countries of the European Union, which, after arriving in Kosovo, developed good relations in the areas where there was a return of Serbs.

Negative reports regarding the north of Kosovo and Metohija

Foto: Tanjug/AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic

The interlocutor points out that in the last two years, two groups of four intelligence officers who are British citizens have been operating very often in the north of Kosovo, several times a week. Their job is to compile reports on northern Kosovo.

"British citizens, often in uniform, in all four municipalities in the north talk to different profiles of people, but only compile intelligence reports in which the north is in a negative context. Their reports always state that the north of Kosovo is full of crime and that extremely strong Russian factor is also present", said a KFOR source in Blic. Not only do these British reports differ significantly in content and facts from, for example, Slovenian or Swiss ones, but they are not sent to other Quint members, not even to KFOR.

"This practice is interpreted as unusual, but the fact is that the British intelligence teams refer exclusively to their embassy in Pristina," points out a source of "Blic" from KFOR. On the other hand, the interlocutor points out that there are the mentioned teams from the Slovenian KFOR, but also the Swiss, however, their reports, based on conversations with citizens and members of the Kosovo Police, are more balanced and forwarded to the KFOR commander.

According to "Blic", the British Embassy in Pristina closely coordinates activities with the Embassy in Skopje, and a lot of work is being done on that route related to the narrower part of the region. The goal of the operation, which is based on these reports, is to create an atmosphere in which the north would weaken, the Serbian political structure in Kosovo and Metohija collapsed and Belgrade's influence in Kosovo diminished. On the basis of those information, diplomats in Pristina make decisions, which lead to support for actions in the north. Just like the one on Wednesday, when a Serb was wounded.

Public secret in Pristina

It is a public secret in Pristina that the U.S. Embassy does not justify the behavior and manner of Kurti's actions. According to Blic, Kurti has support for the fight against corruption, but not for unilateral actions. The American embassy is a frequent critic of violations of the law when it comes to the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija.

The US Embassy usually collects information from the north through individual NGOs, but also in closed discussions. A team of Americans from Bondsteel is also coming to the north, made up of intelligence officers who talk to Serbs and Albanians.

"Unlike the British, the reports of the American operatives are quite objective," says the interlocutor of "Blic".