Tirana Times Editorial
The death of an Albanian army officer and the wounding of another soldier in Afghanistan earlier this week marked Albania’s first loss of life in its foreign military involvements. Like the rest of the Albanian society, this newspaper honors the bravery, courage and dedication of Albanian soldiers, and we thank them for their service.
The deployment of Albanian troops to peacekeeping missions or to fight on the side of NATO allies has unquestionable support among common Albanians and all political leaders, regardless of which side of the political spectrum they stand on. It also has the support of this newspaper.
However, this tragic loss could also serve as a maturing point for Albania, one in which Albanians ask: Does Albania need a stronger public debate about when, where and for how long it deploys its troops in foreign missions – a debate that has been entirely missing so far.
In countries that have faced situations in which their soldiers have fallen in the line of duty in peacekeeping missions, there has often been a public debate about the length and scope of the mission. It’s just what mature societies and states do.
With its 256 troops in Afghanistan, in relation to the population, Albania has no less participation than many other NATO countries, like Italy, for example.
As it stands, Albania’s support for the alliance is perhaps the highest among its members. A recent study by the Albanian Institute for International Studies shows Albanians maintains almost the same support for NATO and its operations as when Albania joined the alliance two years ago. We do not know how that support will be affected by the latest developments in Afghanistan, but we suspect it will remain strong at all levels.
So far there has been no credible or influential political party, organization or individuals to come out openly against sending troops abroad. Unlike other NATO members, which have a vigorous debate about troop participation in foreign missions, in Albania, such debate is missing. Only time will tell if such debate will ever take place in Albania.
However, the current lack of political debate on the issue between government and opposition – but also other groups in society in general and the media in particular נreflects a society that perhaps is not modern enough to debate very sensitive issues.
One point of view is that both major political parties do not wish to debate Albania’s participation in Afghanistan because they are afraid of the risk of immediately losing support in Washington. That’s a misconception.
At the end of the day, debate is a healthy thing, and it should take place. When the Albanian parliament discusses sending troops abroad, it should do so in the same manner of other NATO member countries.
Honoring the fallen and commitments to friends and allies does not mean a debate on sensitive issues like foreign deployments is wrong. It is part of being a mature society.
