October 2006 INTERVIEW GIVEN BY THE SECURITY-INFORMATION AGENCY DIRECTOR TO TANJUG

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BELGRADE, October… (Tanjug) – In his interview to Tanjug, the Director of the Security-Information Agency (BIA), Mr. Rade Bulatovic, assessed that the security situation in Serbia was stable.

“Security situation in our country is at the same level as in other countries of the region. In some neighboring countries, various escalations are present which indicate that the security situation is getting more complicated, but this is not the case with us. So, we can be satisfied with the security situation in Serbia”, said Mr. Bulatovic in the exclusive interview given to the national agency, prior to the celebration of the Security-Agency Day, October 17th.

Summing up the results of the work during the last three years – the period that he has been the Head of the Agency, Mr. Bulatovic emphasized the fact that the “State order” has been established in the Security- Information Agency.

“The most important thing is establishing State order in the Agency, which was seriously damaged. Everything that contains elements of State order indicates respect for legalities, starting from employment, to applying of measures and efficiency in work. This institution certainly is the one where order must govern.”

At the same time, Mr. Bulatovic is very satisfied with the fact that this year, during the phase perceived by its members as the development phase, the Agency has started presenting the first more significant results.

“First of all, it concerns the control of factors linked to international terrorism that are seriously and completely put under the control for the first time. Encouraging results are also recorded in preventing the spilling over of crime and terrorism from Kosovo and Metohija, and serious blow was given to organized crime in Serbia. I think those are three very important segments in which the BIA members have participated either directly, or through providing support to other bodies of the country”, said Mr. Bulatovic.

“We are very satisfied with that. Of course, I would like it to move faster, but unfortunately, Serbia does not have time. Many things have been omitted. Our country is facing great challenges, to which the Agency must contribute appropriately. I have in mind, primarily, the founding of the Serbian State, which is in progress. The National Security Agency, such as BIA is, plays a very precise role in this issue, first of all, in the domain of information as well as in combating terrorism and organized crime”.

He believes that, after successful actions conducted by the Serbian Security Forces during the last year and a half, it can be said that the trend of strengthening organized crime in Serbia has been seriously stopped, i.e. seriously “shaken”.

“All these actions that have been conducted are actually a strike to the heart of organized crime”.

“Naturally, some groups will always exist in larger cities, but it is not the same intensity of threat as when organized crime is united at the level of the whole Republic, when a huge clan is created, when it penetrates State structures, and when corruption takes control. I cannot say that nothing like that exists any more, but involvement of such type of crime is significantly reduced”, Mr. Bulatovic stated.

With reference to terrorism, he explained that no organized terrorist groups are present on the territory of Serbia.

“But, certain links to terrorist groups from the surrounding countries exist. However, we can now say for certain that this type of security jeopardizes of the Republic of Serbia are under control.”

According to his words, numerous arrests of different mafia groups’ members are the result of both the intensified work of the Agency, and of the continuity in its work.

“Such actions are not carried out within a short period of a few days. Those are long actions conducted practically for years. We cooperate exquisitely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We provided logistic, technical and informative support for actions we took part in and one of the actions we have carried out to its realization, practically single-handedly. It is the case of “road mafia”, which disclosure I consider to be one of the greatest successes of the BIA during this year.”

When making a comment on the impression that operational actions of security services do not get the expected court epilogue, Mr. Bulatovic did not want to discuss the efficiency of courts, but he did emphasize that certainly not only the BIA members or the Internal Affairs bodies, but also the people expect more efficient court epilogues.

“Whether the processed individuals are guilty or not – the court will decide. If they are guilty, a verdict should be brought as soon as possible. I do not want to comment on administration of justice, because it does not belong to us. We certainly expect those cases to be processed, since we have conducted all actions in accordance with the law, thoroughly and systematically. Gathered evidence is valid both for the “police” and in the court.

When speaking about “spilling over” of crime from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, the BIA Director explained that, it refers to various types of criminal activities. “It refers first of all to drugs, then to human trafficking, weapons trafficking; actually, there is no type of crime that is not developed in that zone and that does not transit through Serbia and further towards Europe.

Mr. Bulatovic denied statements, after the assassination of Dusan Spasojevic-Siptar, that Albanians from Kosovo led the Serbian mafia, emphasizing that this issue is actually under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the police, since the BIA deals initially with the most serious types of international organized crime.

“Operational knowledge of the BIA does not confirm the implication that Albanians lead our drug mafia. It refers to a number of groups that exist in Serbia. In every larger city there are several groups dealing with that, and they are mostly dealt by the police, and also by the BIA, whenever they cross international borders and whenever it gets the nature of international organized crime.”

Asked if in such cases the BIA contacts UNMIK, he answered promptly, noticing, “The UNMIK is not an associate to the BIA in KiM”.

Mr. Bulatović emphasized that criminals cooperate in much easier manner than countries. “They bear no load. Boundaries do not exist for them. They cooperate from Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Hence, it is a connected and well organized chain that exists.”

According to Mr. Bulatović's words, the BIA has an excellent cooperation with all agencies of the former SFRJ, as well as with other neighbor countries, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Albania. “We cooperate with all agencies, especially when terrorism and organized criminal activities are in question.”

Besides the cooperation at the bilateral level, the Agency also maintains multilateral cooperation within the Association of Southeastern European Services that assembles all the services from Slovenia and Croatia to Albania and Turkey and within other Western European associations.

“Virtually, there is no vital service in the world that is not in contact with us. The BIA is certainly one of the most desirable partners for cooperation between all fellow-services in the Balkans. This is partly because of our central position in the region and partly because of the professional capacity that the BIA possesses.”

Mr. Bulatović agreed with the remark that street mafia clashes in Belgrade and in the interior of Serbia, after a longer period of tranquility, again have become frequent.

Explaining the phenomenon, he noticed: “The working space has narrowed. With their increasingly limited operating opportunities and because the share of the 'cake' was getting smaller and smaller, clashes emerged that characterized the previous period.”

The important, however, is that none of them has support from the Service, Service's leadership and police leadership. That is the key feature for the success in the fight against organized crime, emphasized Mr. Bulatović.

He agrees with the judgment of Special Prosecutor that there are no untouchable: “As you have noticed, looking at the names on the list of the arrested, including the case of a few days ago (detention of the Deputy of the Republic Prosecutor), there are no protected in Serbia. Whoever enters the world of crime, will not be spared by anyone.”

According to Mr. Bulatović's opinion, this is significant for the general atmosphere in the country, which is “better if legality and security rule”. The public is regaining confidence in the prosecuting bodies.

“All citizens are secure and protected. No one is going to be abolished neither a thing exists that we will not execute, if it is for the interest of Serbia. There is no one who can stop us in that process, nor is there anyone who is trying to do so,” said the Head of the BIA. He also emphasized that the Agency has considerable support from the Government of Serbia, to the extent that the Government does not interfere in the work of the police and security bodies, but the activity is being executed exclusively in accordance with the law and service regulations.

Off course that the financial support to the Agency is also important. “In that field we have an excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and other bodies. Certainly, we have budgetary support. We cannot expect the standard of foreign countries, but we struggle to fulfill, at least, the regional level, which also applies for the technical equipment.”

As far as the implementation of the Action Plan of the Government of Serbia is concerned, Mr. Bulatović is in no dilemma: “It is the State question number one”.

In accordance to that, he maintained, “all State bodies have a task to participate and accomplish the assignment of the Serbian Government. Also BIA, together with other bodies, initially the police and military security service, has its own share in the task which it completely accomplishes.”

“We hope that we will complete this task in the shortest period”, said the Director of the BIA.

Explaining the fact that three powerful security services cannot locate and arrest Ratko Mladić, he stated:

“That is a complex question. A part of the reason is the condition of the services that are not as powerful as they are represented, and other refers to the very personality of the person that is being searched for. It is about a closed circle of individuals that originate mostly from military structures that are ethnically close, from one region; not to compare this case to some neighbor countries, where much better and more organized services pursue certain individuals for even 40 years”.

According to his stand, the good thing that the Action Plan provides is that the services finally coordinate in close manner and that all the information and misunderstandings are resolved promptly and efficiently at the Action Team meetings.

Asked whether he is an optimist in connection to the arrest of Mladić, he answered that he is “always an optimist” and so “in this particular case”'.

Director of the BIA is extremely satisfied with the fact that the best students have come to the Agency lately.

“Since for a long time the Service was a closed-entry institution, not all citizens of Serbia could get a job in the BIA (RDB) under equal conditions. Virtually, this became possible two years ago. Every citizen of Serbia may get an engagement at the BIA, certainly, in case that, one possesses appropriate qualifications”, explained Mr. Bulatović.

According to his words, the Agency now welcomes the best students from excellent State institutions and universities. “We are also more than content with staff we have obtained”, concluded the Director of the BIA. Conditions for the formation of the efficient Service in democratic European Serbia are being provided.