4 dead and 27 injured in the car bomb explosion The remote-controlled explosion of a car bomb, containing tritol and other explosive material, which occurred at around 2:40 p.m. on “Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard” in the center of the capital, has caused the death of four citizens and injuries to 27 others. The crime scene is near the Palace of Culture, a few hundred meters from the presidency and the Ministry of Public Order. The force of the explosion brought down the wall of a kiosk next to the site, shattered the windows of dozens of offices and shops, and damaged dozens of vehicles parked nearby. The car bomb that exploded in the middle of the capital is a Mercedes with license plates TR 2103 A, which, according to police sources, was stolen in Greece. The explosive charge had been placed in the car’s trunk and consisted of about 10 kilograms of tritol. The device was activated remotely, apparently by perpetrators who were at the scene. Immediately after the incident, police began investigations to find the perpetrators. The Director General of the Albanian police, Shemsi Prençi, and the Minister of Public Order, Halit Shamata, stated that the executors would be pursued without compromise. According to the latest information, the number of victims has risen to four, as two of the seriously injured died while being transported to the hospital, where, in addition to the dead, 27 injured people were taken. Among the dead is also the driver of the car, Gjet Tusha from Vau i Dejës. In terms of power, this is the most serious terrorist घटना ever to have occurred in Albania. It happened only two days after the trial of the former communist president Ramiz Alia and several other leading figures of the former regime, which is taking place in Tirana and in some way implicates this terror, especially since the incident occurred one hour before rallies organized by the left in the center of the capital. This suggests serious behind-the-scenes involvement by the perpetrators. Who could have carried out these executions if in a number of cases the criminal police have been eliminated and rendered incapable? Given that the square in front of the Palace of Culture is near four rallies of the left-wing parties, at 5:00 p.m. their gathering was moved to Skënderbej Square, where all the left-wing parties condemned the terrorist attack as a criminal act and expressed their regret for the victims. The area where the explosion had taken place had been surrounded since 3:00 p.m. by police and guard forces. As a result of the explosion, electricity in the Palace of Culture was temporarily cut off for hours, while the newspaper RD suspended publication because its technology was damaged. The Republic of Greece announced that the car used in the attack had been stolen in Thessaloniki. (newspaper staff, latest developments on pages 2 and 5) [? A shocking act aimed at destabilization

Press and Information Office attached to the President As reported by the independent news agency Reuters, in an interview with the British daily Financial Times, the former U.S. ambassador to Albania, William Rajerson, stated that Albania is becoming an “increasingly abnormal” country. In the interview, he described the country as “an alarm bell” for Western diplomacy, which may have lost control of politics in Albania. Even more incomprehensible is the fact that in passages of this interview Mr. Rajerson not only describes the democratic government of Albania as “corrupt,” but, without specifically identifying or substantiating which government he is referring to, says that it is “worse than the mafia.” In other statements in the interview, the former U.S. ambassador in Tirana accused the President of the Republic of causing “serious damage to democracy,” which, according to him, will lead to “revolts and unrest.” We express our surprise and indignation that this former American diplomat, who for several years worked in Albania and knew the problems well, can hardly be justified in claiming not to understand how harmful, absurd, and completely irresponsible his statements are. It is never too much to recall in this case what position Mr. Rajerson took while serving as ambassador in Albania, when in an interview with the Washington Post he was asked directly about the possibility of arresting the former communist President Ramiz Alia for crimes against humanity and replied: “There is no need to arrest Mr. Alia for that.” On the contrary, Rajerson reinforced this view with his own stance as a witness in the trial of Alia and his collaborators, defending such a figure with false diplomatic authority, until in the end he appeared before Albanian and international public opinion completely stripped of the aura of an anti-communist. The Republic has no reason to be surprised, because in the post-Soviet country, the saga of former ambassador Rajerson became famous, when he was declared persona non grata by several political forces because he was considered involved in espionage. Nevertheless, he was valued by the Albanian left until they appointed him an honorary member of their foundation. In short, while our country is facing the consequences caused by a pyramid scheme, Mr. Rajerson is pouring fire onto a field that is barely going out. These statements are so destabilizing that they encourage all those political groups and anti-democratic forces, which consider themselves excluded from the normal political game, to exploit to the maximum the possibility of a “restart” of the country’s destabilization on the eve of elections. We do not understand why Mr. Rajerson is pouring gasoline on the fire. Does he want to help circles opposed to reform and the democratic process in Albania? Do they want to prepare a destabilizing climate in order to implement an Algerian scenario and beyond? To sink into chaos? Albania has no reason whatsoever to support the Algerian path. Much less to be encouraged by a former American ambassador. Expressing, in the name of Albanian public opinion, our protest and our full indignation at such a statement, we call on Mr. Rajerson to be responsible in his statements and to refrain from destabilizing political acts. Tirana, 26.2.1996

The car bomb that exploded yesterday in the capital is one of the most shocking consequences of this wave of terror that is being felt everywhere in Albania these days. This serious and shocking event is a genuine terrorist act and once again demonstrates that the demagogic politics of the opposition, used as an inciting engine against the pluralist system and Albanian democracy, has created a climate of destabilization, which many ordinary people are now beginning to find worrying. Nowhere in the world does it happen that the government is accused of harboring commando groups and that the regime itself organizes attacks, while the same opponent is able to call for demonstrations and rallies. At this point responsibility for the prefabrications and for incitement to terrorism through cheap demagoguery cannot be separated. It would seem that in a country, the opponent of politics and the government, as soon as he hears the boom of a car bomb explosion, can rush to create alibis and accusations, once again blaming the communist plot and government crimes. Here we are now proving how dangerous and destabilizing the speculations, the mentions of “political killings,” and the stigmatizations that every day are made by a furious opposition are, which, without any scruple, is setting in motion the entire machinery of anti-reform and criminal forces. Yesterday a serious and dangerous घटना seems to have taken place in Tirana. Who could be interested in making our country feel hopeless and frightened? Is this not a push that feeds the mills of all those who do not want calm, stability, and free elections? Tirana yesterday welcomed and saw off pain and injured and dead people. At 7:15 p.m., two women who had been killed were placed in the morgue, and a little later, at the military hospital, the body of the driver was admitted. The horror was universal. “On the table,” “vibël,” “feet,” “blood,” “shock” — these were the words heard in the evening among the people expressing their grief. But this serious event should not serve anyone as a pretext to strike at democracy. On the contrary, it should make Albanians more united against terror and more determined to defend the democratic order.

Macabre and hateful act The Albanian Democratic Party condemns with the utmost hatred this macabre act of terror, organized and directed with the aim of destabilizing the country. Describing the car bomb explosion as an senseless and criminal act, the PDP calls on state institutions to act firmly and to uncover and punish those responsible. Expressing deep sorrow for the victims, the PDP appeals to political forces and the people to remain calm and not fall prey to provocations. “This climate of lawlessness and insecurity is unfavorable for free and parliamentary elections,” the statement says. The Albanian Democratic Party expresses its solidarity with the victims and their families. “We do not need a destabilized and bloodied Albania, but peace and understanding. Therefore, everyone must do what is possible so that this crime is uncovered and punished,” the PDP statement concludes. Tirana, 26.2.1996

Prime Minister Meksi condemns the terrorist act in Tirana: On the occasion of the terrorist act, in which innocent citizens were killed and injured, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi sent condolences telegrams to the families of the victims. Considering the explosion a macabre act of terror, Prime Minister Meksi strongly condemned this act and described it as an attack against peace and democracy in Albania. “This criminal and vile act violently opposes the entire atmosphere of calm with which Albania is moving toward free parliamentary elections. This is a barbaric blow against innocent people and the forces of order. The explosion was intended to provoke destabilization in the country and create panic,” says the prime minister’s telegram. He assessed that only people who know nothing but violence and acts that strike at the constitutional order could do this. Prime Minister Meksi has called on Albanian citizens to keep their composure and not fall prey to provocations. At the same time, Prime Minister Meksi asked the relevant authorities to take measures and to identify the perpetrators of this terrorist act as soon as possible. Tirana, 26.2.1996

Citizens should trust the state, the government, law enforcement, and all the country’s political forces The government must trust the state, the government, law enforcement, and all the country’s political forces The way yesterday’s car bomb explosion happened and its serious consequences make it difficult to identify the perpetrators. This is because the force of the explosion and the place where it occurred involved many people, which made identifying suspected persons very difficult. But the police has been mobilized with all the means at its disposal and is investigating. According to official sources, car debris and parts of the remote-control device used to activate the explosive were found at the scene. Testimonies are also being taken from people who were nearby at the moment of the explosion. The Minister of Public Order has stated that the perpetrators of this act will be identified and will receive the maximum punishment. “We are determined to take this matter to the end and not allow anyone to shake public security,” he said. The law enforcement forces, criminal police, and other services are coordinating their work to track down the organizers as quickly as possible. The people must remain calm and not become victims of speculation that aims at panic and destabilization. Tirana, 26 February 1996