Bosnia Protests Israeli Al Qaeda Claims

Sarajevo | 08 January 2010 |

Bosnian FM Sven Alkalaj

Bosnian Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj had a phone conversation with Israeli counterpart Avigdor Liberman to voice his protest against his statement that al Qaeda and other Islamic extremist groups were trying to set up bases in the Balkans.

Alkalaj called Liberman to protest against his statement implying that Bosnia was fertile ground for the recruitment of terrorists, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“Alkalaj stressed that such statements are unfounded and are harming our country’s international reputation,” the statement said.

During the phone conversation, Alkalaj stressed that Bosnia was committed to fighting terrorism and that Bosnian and international intelligence and security agencies did not have any evidence of terrorists training or recruiting in the country.

Alkalaj instructed Bosnia's ambassador in Tel Aviv to request a meeting with the Israeli Foreign Ministry to discuss the case further, the statement added.

After meeting his Macedonian counterpart in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Balkan nations would be the next target of the global jihad network.

Liberman said that intelligence gathered by agencies around the world showed that Islamist terrorist organisations were already recruiting members and seting up cells in the Balkans, adding that Islamic and Saudy charities were chanelling funds to Muslims of Bosnian and Albanian origin.