R 091244Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1037

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000199 
 
 
DEPT FOR DS/TIA/ITA, DS/IP, DS/IP/EUR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL. N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PTER
SUBJECT: SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE SPRING 
2009 U.S. EMBASSY BELGRADE 
 
REF: 09 STATE 013023 
 
SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE (SEPQ) - BELGRADE 
 
(U) POLITICAL VIOLENCE 
 
¶I. (U) DEMONSTRATIONS 
 
¶A. ARE THERE ANY ETHNIC OR RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN-COUNTRY 
PRONE TO CARRY OUT SIGNIFICANT ANTI-AMERICAN 
DEMONSTRATIONS? 
 
Yes, the declaration of the independence of Kosovo has for 
many Serbs created a belief that the United States is the 
leader in usurping the sovereignty of the Serbian state by 
supporting the independence of Kosovo. 
 
i. HAVE THERE BEEN ANTI-AMERICAN DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE 
COUNTRY WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS? 
 
Yes, in March 2007 members of the Radical Serb Party (SRS) 
held a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy.  It was a 
well organized demonstration in which the SRS party bused 
in demonstrators and also provided their own security 
personnel so that things would not get out of hand. 
Embassy Belgrade had experienced two attacks by Serbs angry 
over the Declaration of Independence by Kosovo and the 
United States recognition of Kosovo as an independent 
state.  February 17, 2008, a large demonstration occurred 
outside the U.S. Embassy resulting in damage to the 
facility by approximately 200 rioters who were repelled by 
police after the initial attack.   February 21, 2008, a 
scheduled and government organized demonstration escalated 
into an attack on several diplomatic missions, the U.S. 
Embassy bearing the brunt of the damage, as reported widely 
on CNN.  Approximately 1000 plus rioters assaulted the U.S. 
Embassy breaching the perimeter.  Police failed to respond 
for over an hour as rioters set fire to the embassy and 
attempted to penetrate the hard line.   Physical security 
systems and tear gas prevented rioters from breaching the 
hard line. 
 
ii. No, other than the U.S. Embassy no other U.S. facility 
has seen demonstrations. 
 
iii. Large organized demonstrations have seen numbers in 
the thousands. 
 
iv. Past and current demonstrations have usually been 
triggered by U. S. foreign policy initiatives relating to 
the independence of Kosovo. 
 
¶B. ARE DEMONSTRATIONS GENERALLY VIOLENT OR PEACEFUL? 
 
U.S. Embassy Belgrade has been evacuated seven times since 
the 1970s.  Before February 2008, the Embassy was evacuated 
in 1999 and gutted by rioters after our departure.  Since 
our return in 2001, the U.S. Embassy has been attacked by 
rioters in 2004 and twice in 2008. 
 
i. Yes, the attack on February 17, 2008 resulted in damage 
to FEBR windows and doors of the Consular Section.  The 
attack on February 21, 2008 resulted in damage to FEBR 
windows and doors in CAC-1, CAC-2, structural damage 
resulting from a fire set by rioters inside areas of the 
Embassy's perimeter used as a crush zone but not used as 
office space.  Grills were ripped off the building, walk 
through metal detector destroyed and the x-ray machine in 
CAC-2 (Consular CAC) destroyed. 
 
ii. Yes, from DVR video we know that at least seven 
individuals penetrated our perimeter security line on 
February 21, 2008.  One individual penetrated the compound 
and caused damage to one office and FEBR door to the 
chancery. 
 
¶C. HAVE ANY ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATIONS TAKEN PLACE IN 
THE HOST COUNTRY WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS? 
 
Yes, demonstrations against privatization, wage issues, 
military pensions, and taxi regulation and the arrest of 
Radovan Karadzic have occurred and in the Karadzic case 
still continue on a daily basis, in 2008. 
 
i. Yes, anti-government demonstrations have occurred within 
two blocks of the U.S. Embassy and other diplomatic 
missions.  Host government offices are located near these 
missions. 
 
ii. Anti-government demonstrations vary in size from 50 to 
1,000 demonstrators. 
 
iii. Anti-government demonstrations are generally peaceful 
with the exception of July 29, 2008 when ultra nationalists 
(OBRAZ) engaged police during a peaceful downtown rally by 
the Serbian Radical Party (SRS).  Police used rubber 
bullets and tear gas to subdue the rioters.  Damage was 
sustained to businesses downtown.  Rioters never approached 
the U.S. Embassy. 
 
iv. As described earlier demonstrations based upon U.S. 
policy have occurred resulting in damage to U.S. Embassy. 
However, anti-government demonstrations directed towards 
the Serbian government have not resulted in damage to any 
U.S. facility. 
 
(SBU) MACRO CONFLICT CONDITIONS 
 
 ¶A. Serbia is currently engaged in a diplomatic and 
political dispute over the Independence of Kosovo.  With 
Kosovo's declaration of Independence in February 2008 and 
the resulting recognition by members of the international 
community, Serbia maintains support for Serbs residing in 
enclaves within Northern Kosovo primarily the Mitrovica 
area.  There is a push for separate or rather parallel 
governments, one for ethnic Serbs and one for ethnic 
Albanians.  There have been demonstrations and 
confrontations with UN Security forces at border crossings 
between Serbia and the Mitrovica area of Northern Kosovo. 
Clashes with UMIK security forces and ethnic Serbs have 
occurred at local government facilities in towns located in 
the Mitrovica area of Northern Kosovo. 
 
¶B. Currently the political rhetoric is "Kosovo is Serbia" 
has been confined to Northern Kosovo's Mitrovica area. 
With passions and tensions high and the presence of militia 
groups, both ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serb, it could 
spread into Southern Serbia and throughout the Mitrovica 
region.  Incidents could cause reverberations in Belgrade. 
 
¶C.  No U.S. Diplomatic facilities are located in the 
Mitrovica area of Northern Kosovo that comes under the 
Chief of Mission's authority in Belgrade.  There is a USAID 
facility in the Novi Pazar located in Southern Serbia. 
 
¶D. As previously described anti-American rhetoric is high 
regarding the Kosovo issue.  The events of February 17th 
and 21st are examples of the political gamesmanship 
displayed to influence or met out American responsibility 
for Kosovo's independence. 
 
III. (U) HOST COUNTRY CAPABILITIES 
 
¶A. Law enforcement agencies are for the most part 
professional and well trained; however, they suffer from 
the bureaucratic systems still in effect from the socialist 
era.  Requests for assistance are required in writing and 
responses are extremely slow. 
 
¶B.   The ILEA, ATA, EXBIS, and ICITAP programs provide 
substantial vehicle for training Serbian Security Forces. 
The U.S. Embassy Belgrade facilitated Serbia in having its 
first FBI Academy graduate in June 2008.  Personal 
relationships developed by post personnel through these 
training programs and the programs themselves have 
developed a cadre of officers dedicated to professionalism 
with a regional view about crime and terrorism. 
Notwithstanding the events of February 21, 2008 in which 
police failed to respond because of political decisions 
within the Ministry of Interior, commanding officers of at 
least two special police units acted on their own 
initiative to respond and secure a perimeter around the 
Embassy to provide a corridor for emergency fire responders 
and help sweep and secure the Embassy compound.  The 
training provided through Embassy programs is immensely 
popular and provides an invaluable asset to Post's 
security. 
 
¶C. Yes, the fall of the Eastern Bloc and the increasing 
organized crime which accompanied the breakup of 
intelligence services and provided new opportunities for 
their networks, tradecraft, and operational skills created 
a lucrative business in smuggling drugs, weapons, and 
trafficking in persons.   Serbia is uniquely located 
geographically at the center of the Balkan Peninsula and 
provides a trafficking back door to Europe.  The Southern 
border of Serbia with Kosovo and the militia and criminal 
groups created during and after the 1990s conflict provides 
a vehicle for organized crime and others. This creates an 
opportunity to corrupt underpaid police and border guards. 
 
¶D. Yes, both the Intelligence Services and Security 
 
Services have demonstrated some effectiveness in deterring 
terrorist activities.  The arrest in May 2007 of a group of 
Muslim extremists identified as "Wahhabi" (reported in 08 
Belgrade 0003 "OSAC Crime and Safety Report) were arrested 
along with weapons, food, and copies of a Serbian 
translated Al Quaida manual cached in the Sanjak area of 
Southern Serbia.  The group also had in their possession a 
laptop computer with a map of Belgrade, identifying the 
U.S. Embassy and the Serbian National landmarks.  The 
arrest of these individuals prompted the Ministry of 
Interior to create a new anti-terrorist investigation unit. 
Again because of Serbia's well-positioned location as a 
primary land route to Europe, it provides a possible avenue 
of transit for international terrorism. 
 
¶E. No, with the U.S. recognition of Kosovo the Serbian 
government policy has been no contact with those countries 
that have recognized Kosovo as an independent state.  This 
policy has applied to the intelligence services also. 
 
¶F. Yes, see section D. above regarding the "Wahhabi" case. 
 
¶G. No, as displayed on February 21, 2008 the Serbian 
police, as ordered by political chicanery, walked away from 
the U.S. Embassy leaving it vulnerable to an open attack by 
mobs of hooligans possibly organized and in the pay of 
politicians.  However, since new elections were held in 
June 2008 and a new government installed, police support to 
the U.S. Embassy has been very responsive.  A large 
demonstration on July 29, 2008 in which hooligans engaged 
police in downtown Belgrade never approached the U.S. 
Embassy.  Police assured that demonstrators would not 
approach the U.S. or British Embassies within four blocks. 
None did.  Daily demonstrations occur in downtown Belgrade 
directed at the new Serbian government and although these 
demonstrations impact traffic they remain relatively small. 
A demonstration on August 4, 2008 was directed at the 
Croatian Embassy a block away from the U. S. Embassy. 
Demonstrators were protesting the anniversary of Croatian 
operation "Storm."  Protestors stopped in front of both the 
Croatian and U.S. Embassies but remained peaceful.  Police 
have conducted high level meetings with the Minister of 
Interior on the failures of police response on the night of 
February 21, 2008.  The Minister of Interior has passed 
along to police and conveyed to the U.S. Deputy Chief of 
Mission and Regional Security Officer that no diplomatic 
mission will be attacked or entered, especially the U.S. 
Embassy. 
 
¶H.  Airport Security: Good/Average 
 
¶I.  Customs and Immigration: Average 
 
¶J. Border Patrol Forces: Average 
 
¶7. INDIGENOUS TERRORISM 
 
¶I.  (U) ANTI-AMERICAN TERRORIST GROUPS 
 
¶A. No. 
 
¶B. N/A 
 
¶C. No 
 
¶D. No 
 
¶E.  No 
 
¶F. No 
 
¶G. N/A 
 
¶H. N/A 
 
II. OTHER INDIGENOUS TERRORIS GROUPS 
 
¶A.  Serbian authorities arrested 15 individuals with cached 
weapons, explosives, and ammunition in March 2007 and 
another 4 individuals in connection with the "Wahhabi" case 
in October 2007.  The trial is still in progress. 
 
¶B. Wahhabi 
 
¶C. No 
 
¶D. No 
 
¶E. No 
 
¶8. TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM 
 
¶I. TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM INDICATORS 
 
¶A. None known of 
 
 
¶B. N/A 
 
¶C. No, Serbia is sensitive to outside forces operating 
within Serbia.  The creation of a new anti-terrorist unit 
exemplifies their understanding and sensitivity. 
Transnational or international terrorism concerns within 
Serbia are the same for the rest of the Balkans.  Belgrade 
sits on a primary land route between the Middle East and 
Western Europe. 
 
¶D. None known of 
 
¶E. The area of Southern Serbia, know as Sandzak is a Muslim 
enclave within Serbia.  In 2007 a rivalry between two 
factions of the Serbian Islamic Community erupted in 
clashes between the faction supported by Belgrade and a 
faction supported by Sarajevo.  These conflicts appear to 
be confined to clashes with each other for control of 
traditional Islamic holdings in Serbia.  As described 
earlier the "Wahhabi" case provides some understanding of 
the capabilities and support mechanisms available in this 
area.  Serbian authorities arrested 15 individuals with 
cached weapons, explosives, and ammunition in March 2007 
and another 4 individuals in connection with this case in 
October 2007.  The trial is on-going.  This group does not 
appear to be directed by outside listed extremist 
organizations, although there is evidence of contact with 
groups outside of Serbia. 
 
¶F. Iran, Iraq, and Syria all have missions in Serbia. 
Their interest in the American target is no less nor no 
greater than that in any other country from an intelligence 
standpoint.  From a terrorist standpoint, because of 
Serbia's sensitivity to outsiders acts within their 
territory and the recent events of political violence 
already directed at the U.S. Embassy, Serbia is sensitive 
to and most recently responsive to Post's needs. 
 
¶G. Small arms and other weapons are widely available and 
very inexpensive in the region Although Serbia has 
restrictions governing the sale of ammunition and strict 
weapons laws going so far as making mace and some knives 
illegal to carry without a permit.   Trafficking in arms is 
a lucrative business for organized crime.  Smuggling of 
weapons either into or out of Bosnia and/or Kosovo, and 
Montenegro is not uncommon.   It is reported that the 
"Wahhabi" group received weapons, ammunition, and 
explosives from Bosnia and possibly Kosovo and money from 
Saudi Arabia.