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DE RUEHTI #0218/01 0811613
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211613Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6851
INFO RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0923
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUFNPKB/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT
RUDKSR/EUCOM PLANS AND ANALYSES STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (2nd Correction)(SUBJECT LINE DATES) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR OPDAT, ICITAP 
EMBASSY SOFIA FOR LEGAT ROBERTS 
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA, AID/W 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PARM MASS AL
 
SUBJECT: THIS WEEK IN ALBANIA, MARCH 15-21, 2008 
 
REF:  A) TIRANA 199  B) TIRANA 200 
 
TIRANA 00000218  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) The following is a weekly report prepared by Embassy 
Tirana's local staff to provide political and economic context and 
insight into developments in Albania.  This week's report is 
dedicated to the victims and survivors of the disastrous explosions 
at Gerdec on March 15, and focuses on the social and political 
ramifications of this tragedy. 
 
--------------------------------- 
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) AN EXPLOSION OF NUCLEAR PROPORTIONS: The tragic explosions in 
an informal ammunition disassembling unit at Gerdec, a few miles 
west of Tirana, have so far claimed the lives of 20 citizens and 
injured over 300.  The terrible footage from the scene of the 
accident showed more than a thousand homes destroyed (over 350 
flattened), and hundreds of businesses shattered, shocking a nation 
that is still trying to come to terms with the magnitude of the 
disaster.  Thousands of live rounds were thrown up to three 
kilometers from the blast sight, where they detonated or came to 
rest on houses and fields.  Propellant and gunpowder still litter 
the area, which is being cleared, painstakingly and by hand, by 
Albanian and international explosive ordnance experts.  (For video, 
go to youtube.com and type in "Gerdec.")  Initial reports suggest 
that substandard conditions and lack of enforcement due to corrupt 
practices led directly to the tragedy. 
 
¶3. (U) WHO WILL PAY THE PRICE?: In the last few days, shock and 
sympathy have begun to make way for anger.  The populace has made 
clear that it feels the state failed them, and that justice is due. 
As the government investigation continues, serious questions are 
being raised regarding the location of the site, so close to major 
inhabited areas and the only international airport.  Following a 
recent honeymoon brought on by expectations of a NATO invitation, 
the political scene has since erupted into heated exchanges between 
opposition leaders and the Prime Minister, with the former calling 
daily for the latter's resignation.  A noted political analyst said 
that Gerdec demonstrated "the honeymoon was virtual and that cancer 
lay beneath."  Following the departure of Defense Minister Mediu, 
whose resignation, he said, was a moral responsibility, criticism 
turned swiftly to the PM, who has gone on the offensive to save his 
political career. 
 
¶4.  (U) DEMOCRACY AT WORK: Notably shaken by his visits to the 
disaster site, the PM continues his strenuous efforts to hold his 
ground, putting disaster cleanup and victims' assistance at the top 
of his agenda.  However, in addition to the opposition, media and 
civil society activists have loudly denounced him as responsible - 
if not for the actions he has taken, certainly for what was left 
undone.  Investigative journalism has gone into overdrive, and fresh 
news reports trickle in by the hour to reveal increasingly 
compromising bits of information.  The full story has not yet come 
to light, but press reports fuel the public's general sentiment that 
government incompetence and corrupt practices have led directly to 
the depressing count of new bodies each day.  With TV images 
portraying the carnage 24/7, the GOA is fighting an uphill battle to 
portray itself as a responsive, responsible, and uncorrupted entity. 
Cornered by relentless media scrutiny, the Prime Minister briefly 
lost his cool and portrayed some unspecified outlets as "mercenaries 
of the mafia."  Although the disaster relief fund set up by the GOA 
this week may help alleviate some initial pain, the societal shock 
waves of the Gerdec explosions will continue to ripple across the 
political and social fabric for some time to come. 
 
¶5.  (U) Citizens of the area surrounding the blast site staged a 
protest Monday, rallying several hundred to march.  A series of 
additional protests have been held or are planned, sponsored by 
diverse groups including the well-known Mjaft! civil society 
organization, the association of armed forces pensioners, student 
groups, and the opposition Socialist Party.  All peaceful (and 
predicted to remain so), this democratic expression  gives citizens 
an outlet for their anger.  How high the volume will go is yet to be 
seen, but the number and frequency of scheduled protests is unusual. 
 Meanwhile, opposition leaders continue to make the case for the 
government's resignation, hoping to take power themselves, and the 
blame game escalates among government officials.  The opposition's 
 
TIRANA 00000218  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
ability to mobilize political action will be tested this Friday in 
their announced mournful silent march of protest against the 
government.  In the absence of real change in how Albania is 
governed, Gerdec could become the threshold for how much injustice 
Albanians are willing to take from their elected officials. 
 
¶6.  (U) THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: From the ashes of this 
catastrophe has risen empathy for fellow citizens.  There has been 
an intense outpouring of grief for those who died, followed by a 
profound desire to assist the living.  Along with humanitarian 
assistance from local NGOs and international organizations, regular 
citizens are cobbling together temporary structures of support to 
provide cash donations, food, and other basic items for those who 
lost everything.  Others have provided emotional support such as 
child care and post-trauma counseling.  Blood drives have been 
overwhelmed by the numbers of people arriving to donate. Restaurants 
and cafeterias have offered accommodations and food for the 
homeless, who are currently sheltered in privately-constructed and 
government-provided facilities.  Only a small number of politicians 
from either coalition have volunteered their own time and money to 
current assistance efforts. 
 
¶7. (U) SURROUNDED BY INFORMALITY:  The events in Gerdec tragically 
demonstrate the extent of informality in Albanian society.  It is 
common for homes to be built close to military sites, breaking all 
rules of security as they are built without legal building permits. 
The tax office confirms that the number of factory employees varied 
widely each month from just a few to over 20 (though sources now 
confirm that there were more than 120 people working at the Gerdec 
site).  Existing labor laws were clearly breached as well.  Video 
confirms that children were working at the dismantling site, and 
former employees say none received the required training for the 
dangerous job of dismantling ammunitions.  Finally, although a 
strong negative effect would usually be felt by the insurance 
industry following a disaster such as this, informality in the 
housing sector meant the majority of homes were uninsured.  To date 
only 50 claims have been filed, mostly by businesses, though this is 
number is expected to grow. 
 
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PERSON OF THE WEEK 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (U)  PROSECUTOR GENERAL INA RAMA: TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE 
ALBANIAN WAY (OF THE FUTURE):  The government investigation into the 
Gerdec tragedy is the first major test for recently appointed 
Prosecutor General Ina Rama.  Rama has been hailed as one of the new 
generation of young, western educated professionals taking 
increasingly important roles in government.  Her ability to conduct 
a thorough, meticulous, and transparent investigation in the wake of 
chaos, rumor, and political pressure will prove crucial to the 
resolution of the current crisis of confidence.  With all major 
government players currently under immunity from prosecution, she 
faces political and legal challenges to carry the investigation 
effectively to its end, letting the chips fall where they may.  The 
hopes of the nation are riding with her to maintain her 
professionalism, keep her cool, and work within or against the 
political elite to bring the truth to light and administer justice 
without bias.  We're rooting for her as well. 
 
----------------- 
Quote of the Week 
----------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) "According to approximate calculations, this was a very 
powerful nuclear-like explosion, like an atomic bomb going off but 
without the radioactivity."  Excerpted from President Topi's address 
to the nation March 16. 
 
WITHERS