VZCZCXRO9324
OO RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHTI #0204/01 0791453
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191453Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6831
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST IMMEDIATE 0567
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
AIDAC 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP 
EMBASSY BUDAPEST FOR LEGAT ROBERTS 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA, AID/W 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KCRM EAID PREL PGOV SENV ASEC AL
SUBJECT:  ALBANIAN PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE SEEKS URGENT ASSISTANCE TO 
INVESTIGATE BLAST SITE 
 
REF:  A) TIRANA 200  B) TIRANA 202 
 
¶1.  (U)  This is an action request -- please see para 3. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Prosecutor General Ina Rama has assigned the chief of the 
Tirana district prosecutor's office, Genti Xholi, to head the 
criminal investigation into the causes of the fatal March 15 
explosion.  (Note:  Xholi is well and favorably known to Embassy's 
OPDAT section.)  Late in the evening of March 18, Ambassador 
received two letters of request for urgent FBI assistance in the 
investigation.  One requests assistance in victim identification and 
crime scene investigation.  The second requests assistance tracking 
down information on Southern Ammunition Company in South Carolina, 
the company apparently contracted by the Ministry of Defense to 
operate at the scene of the explosion.  Informal Embassy 
translations of the texts follow in paras 4 and 5. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Ambassador fully supports these requests and urges the 
fastest possible positive reply.  Because of the connection of a 
U.S. company to the incident, and despite the fact that the company 
had no/no USG connection or contact prior to the explosion, the U.S. 
has received unfavorable media attention, an unusual phenomenon in 
Albania.  In addition to the welcome assistance from EUCOM, State's 
PM/WRA, and USAID, it would be extremely helpful for the U.S. to 
help to ensure a professional, thorough, transparent investigation. 
Such an investigation is directly important to Albania's political 
stability and democratic development.  Albania lacks the resources 
to conduct the quality of investigation U.S. authorities can mount. 
Moreover, the Albanian public puts great trust in the 
professionalism and impartiality of USG institutions, and our 
assistance will help increase confidence, countering the unfavorable 
attention caused by Southern Ammunitions connection to the tragedy. 
We urgently request and appreciate Department and FBI's prompt 
attention and support. 
 
¶4. (U)  Begin text, informal Embassy translation of PG Rama's 
request for investigative assistance: 
 
Protocol No. 822 
Tirana, March 18, 2008 
 
Re:  Assistance requested for the criminal investigation of Gerdec 
explosion 
 
To: the U.S. Embassy 
 
Honored Mr. Ambassador, 
 
Expressing my highest consideration, I take this opportunity to 
present to You my official request for assistance related to the 
recent events in Gerdec village nearby Tirana, where a vast 
explosion caused the death of a considerable number of persons as 
well as many wounded and property damage.  The prosecutor's office 
has started a criminal investigation of this case. 
 
During the investigations carried out until now, it has been 
determined that the explosion occurred in an area used for the 
dismantling of military ammunitions.  All actions for the 
dismantling of military ammunitions were done by the Albanian 
company "ALBADEMIL" ltd., which has operated as a subcontractor of 
the American company "Southern Ammunition Company Inc." 
 
During the investigation process, we are facing many obstacles 
related to the lack of technical expertise and equipment that are 
needed: 
 
¶1.  for the identification of victims; 
¶2.  for a full forensic investigation of the scene of the explosion, 
to determine properly the cause and sequence of events that took 
place from the beginning of the incident through its end. 
 
Being in such circumstances and having in mind the importance of 
this case for the Albanian government and Albanian public opinion, I 
would like You to make possible the presence of a specialized 
assistance from Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I). 
 
I remain at Your availability for any further information that You 
might need. 
 
Thanking You in advance for your fruitful cooperation, I am looking 
forward to a positive answer from You. 
 
 
TIRANA 00000204  002 OF 002 
 
 
General Prosecutor 
Ina Rama 
 
¶5.  (U)  Begin text, informal Embassy translation of PG Rama's 
request for information on Southern Ammunition Company: 
 
Protocol No. 822                                Tirana, March 18, 
2008 
 
Re:  Assistance requested for the criminal investigation of Gerdec 
explosion 
 
To: the U.S. Embassy 
 
Honored Mr. Ambassador, 
 
Expressing my highest consideration, I take this opportunity to 
present to You my official request for assistance related to the 
recent events in Gerdec village nearby Tirana, where a vast 
explosion caused the death of a considerable number of persons as 
well as many wounded and property damage.  The prosecutor's office 
has started a criminal investigation of this case. 
 
During the investigations carried out until now, it has been 
determined that the explosion occurred in an area used for the 
dismantling of military ammunitions.  All actions for the 
dismantling of military ammunitions were done by the Albanian 
company "ALBADEMIL" ltd., which has operated as a subcontractor of 
the American company "Southern Ammunition Company Inc."  The latest 
has a contract with the Albanian government through the state-owned 
company MEICO and has been assigned to undertake the above process. 
 
The company "Southern Ammunition Company Inc" has its headquarters 
in the address "4232 Medow Street Loris, South Carolina 29569-3124, 
USA", and has been legally represented by the American citizen 
Patrick C. Henry III, born on 28.05.1956, holder of U.S. passport # 
¶017008242.  The company has this phone numbers 00995 32 22 09 34, 
mobile 0018432677405, and fax 0018437563226.  Apart from the above 
person, in Albania has come another U.S. citizen Taylor Rodney 
Spencer, born on 20.03.1951, holder of U.S. Passport # 221090832. 
 
Together with the documentation needed for finalizing contract, 
"Southern Ammunition Company Inc" has also submitted license # 
730002498, issued by the Department of State on 9 May 2007. 
 
The investigation needs data and information that can be found in 
the United States, and is difficult for the Albanian government to 
obtain.  The information needed relates to the true activity of the 
U.S. company "Southern Ammunition Company Inc", its legal 
representatives, validity of the license submitted, whether it has 
another license related to armaments, the position of Patrick C. 
Henry III and Taylor Rodney Spencer in the company, whether Patrick 
¶C. Henry III was authorized by the company to contract in Albania 
and to contract with MEICO, whether the two above persons or 
"Southern Ammunition Company Inc" has completed bank transaction 
with physical or legal persons in Albania from October 2007 through 
March 2008, as well as any other information that may be available 
for these two persons. 
 
Being in such circumstances and having in mind the importance of 
this case for the Albanian government and Albanian public opinion, I 
would like You to make possible that this information be available 
for the prosecution office. 
 
I remain at Your availability for any further information that You 
might need. 
 
Thanking You in advance for your fruitful cooperation, I am looking 
forward to a positive answer from You 
 
General Prosecutor 
Ina Rama 
 
End text. 
 
WITHERS