Albanians protest against a proposal to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons in Albania
TIRANA, Nov. 14 – An international proposal to use Albania as a base where Syria’s chemical weapons can be safely destroyed has sparked an unprecedented public backlash with protests across the country urging Albania’s government to withdraw from negotiations.
Protesters, coming from all strata of Albanian society, were galvanized by the vague language of top officials and suspicions that a decision had already been made behind closed doors. The protests also marked rare public pressure on the government in this staunchly pro-American country to place limits in what requests it will accept from the international community in general and the United States in particular, after the government confirmed that Washington and other allies had requested Tirana’s assistance with the program.
As of press time late Thursday, Albania’s government had yet to make a public statement, but from several unofficial reports it appeared it had decided to withdraw from the negotiations in the face of public pressure. A day earlier, Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a press conference that no decision had yet been made on whether Albania will take part in the program. However, Albania owes the United States and the international community to at least listen to what they are proposing, he said.
“There is still no decision, coupled with the fact that today there is still no comprehensive plan and no full agreement with the countries involved in this process,” Rama said in a press conference Wednesday night. “If we agree, it will only be in connection with a plan and an agreement that makes it clear to all that Albania will come out of the process prouder, richer for it and a cleaner place than it is today.”
Albania’s government had likely been weighing in the financial support and other benefits that would had come with the program’s implementation, analysts said.
However, Rama’s critics and allies alike have said his lengthy silence on the matter and the delay in coming out with a definitive answer has cost the government a lot of support, just 50 days after it took office following an overwhelming win in the general elections.
Daily protests grew with government silence
There were daily protests after the proposal became public, involving people ranging from green activists to opposition politicians. The protests were unprecedented in nature for Albania, utilizing social media and bringing together groups from progressives to nationalists. Many politicians, including some in Rama’s own party, said they were against the measure, joining the protests.
For one of the most pro-American nations in the world, opposition to the proposal and the perceived U.S. pressure on the Albanian government on the matter, marked the first time that a large group of protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana since the fall of Communism.
“We are not against the United States, but we are against bringing these chemical weapons to Albania,” said Sazan Guri, an environmental activist and one of protest leaders. He warned the amalgamate group of civil society organizations that were setting up the protests would organize a civil disobedience campaign should the government agree to the program.
On Thursday, the largest protest took place in front of the parliament. Speaker Ilir Meta came out to talk to the protesters.
“This parliament and government won’t ever act against your will,” Meta told the protesters. Meta is the leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration and a key ally in the Socialist Party-led government. He had earlier said Albania lacked the capability to take on such a project.
Inside parliament, MPs from the main opposition Democratic Party protested against any agreement and expressed anger over the absence of the prime minister in parliament.
Opposition calls for referendum
The Democratic Party leader, Lulzim Basha, officially called for a referendum on the proposal on Wednesday, calling for its supporters to joint the street protests.
“We are determined to prevent at any cost Prime Minister Rama’s irresponsible behavior against Albanian citizens. Along with the request for referendum on this matter, we are filing a motion for public debate with Rama, so he is forced to disclose everything to the public,” Basha said Thursday. “We won’t hesitate to vote for a more secure world, but Albanian society won’t put up with getting this sort of treatment by the prime minister.”
The Democrats were in power until early September and had made several agreements with the United States, including giving refugee status at the request of Washington to former Guantanamo prisoners proven innocent and Iranian-born militants stuck in Iraq. A NATO member since 2008, Albania has also joined the international missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. There had been no public backlash to any of these decisions.
The chemical weapons’ destruction program appears to have crossed an invisible line in Albanian public opinion, however, with critics saying Albania is too small, too poor and too ill prepared for the job. Worries made public in Albanian media ranged from tourism-related businesses who were afraid visitors would avoid Albania, even if the visitors’ fears were unfounded, to a strong fear that a deadly accident would happen mirroring the 2008 explosion at Gerdec where many Albanians lost their lives after the explosion at a weapons decommission plant outside Tirana.
In addition to the domestic resistance, there were also worries from neighboring countries over Albania’s ability to handle the program. Officials in Greece, Italy and Macedonia told Albanian media they would want to be consulted. Some Kosovo Albanians joined street protests and others vowed to boycott Albania’s beaches should the program be allowed to go on.
Proposal aimed at global good citizens
Albania was selected as a possible candidate to help in the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal due to its geographic location and the fact that it destroyed its own, smaller, stockpile left over from the Communist era. The Albanian government admitted last week it has received an official request by the United States, following foreign media reports two weeks ago. Syria’s regime, embroiled in a brutal civil war where such weapons have already been used, was forced to give them up under the threat of a NATO military intervention.
The project is supported by other UN members, including Russia, and involves bringing in the weapons or their components to Albania for destruction. Experts say the process is safe and that Albania would get international help in the process, but many Albanians worry whether the tiny country has the capabilities to perform the task under any circumstance.
International officials say the process would be done under the strictest supervision and there would be no danger to Albania should some or all of the chemical weapons be destroyed in the country.
U.S. Ambassador Alexander Arvizu faced repeated questions on the matter from Albanian media throughout the week, saying Tuesday that the discussions were still taking place and other countries were involved as well.
He added that it is vital to remember that the United States is a friend to Albania and the Albanian people and their well-being and dignity are very important to the United States.
