U.S. State Department Praises Croatia

The annual American report on terrorism says European countries, including Croatia and Bosnia, successfully implement antiterrorist measures

The U.S. State Department on Thursday issued an annual report on terrorism in which it marked a decreasing trend of terrorist attacks and victims in the world, while they have doubled in Pakistan, a nuclear power whose instability is causing increasing concern in Washington. 

The number of people killed in terrorist attacks in the world in 2008 dropped to 15,765 from 22,508 in 2007. The number of attacks fell to 11,770 from last year’s 14,506.

The report states that Al Qaeda remains the biggest threat to the United States, despite efforts to combat its activities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Northern Africa, Somalia and Yemen.

In the section pertaining to Europe, the report states that in 2008 there were no larger terrorist attacks and that European countries have improved their capacities to battle terrorist threats, they have prevented several large terrorist conspiracies and processed and arrested terrorism suspects.

- Terrorist activity and the presence of terrorist support networks in Europe remained a source of serious concern – wrote the State Department, adding that arrests in Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Turkey and other countries indicate the scope of challenges with which European governments and their security forces are faced.

Cooperation among security agencies, partnership with the USA in the exchange of information, the arrest of members of terrorist cells and cutting off terrorist funding remain crucial in efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, the report states.

The State Department states that “Croatian law-enforcement institutions cooperated well with U.S. counterterrorism initiatives and participated in training from the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary; the Antiterrorism Assistance program; and U.S. Marshals.”

The Croatian government has increased its contribution to NATO’s ISAF mission in Afghanistan from 200 to 300 soldiers. The units serve as military police, medical support, force security, liaison and training, the part of the report pertaining to Croatia states.

With regards to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the State Department stresses the good cooperation between its police and intelligence services with the USA in antiterrorist efforts, adding that “efforts by Republika Srpska officials to undermine state-level institutions slowed efforts to improve operational capabilities to combat terrorism and terrorist financing.”

The report also points to the politicisation of the issue of terrorism in Bosnia-Herzegovina, including analyses of terrorist threats and semi-terrorist actions.

- Some former members of the mujahedin brigade, whose citizenship was revoked by the Citizenship Review Commission, have pursued appeals of these decisions that remained unresolved – the State Department says. The report mentions the arrest of a group of five people connected with extremists led by Rijad Rustempasic. “The court had not adjudicated this case as of December 2008.”, the report states.

The State Department also stresses the successful mission of the Bosnian bomb squad in Iraq, which was concluded in December 2008.