FAILURE OF CROATIAN SERVICES Libyan establishes terrorist cell in Zagreb

By: Rasim Belko

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Croatian services are prepared and monitor everything very well, former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović once said, while accusing neighbouring countries of terrorism and praising Croatia's Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) as ready and courageous.

But is the SOA truly ready to fight terrorism, aside from internal games of the political elite and accusing neighbours? How successful is it in protecting Croatia from the installation of terrorists from the East in Zagreb?

Intelligence services, more prepared and more engaged in the fight against terrorism than the SOA, claim that terrorists from the East see the entire Balkans as suitable ground, and thus Croatia as well.

Croatian Ambassador to Egypt Tomislav Bošnjak, according to intelligence data that the Patria agency had access to, is showered with gifts from terrorist organisations in Libya to “finish” certain jobs for them. Thus, with the help of Ambassador Bošnjak, Ayoub A.S. Aborass arrived in Croatia. Intelligence documents state that Aborass came to Croatia as a medical attaché.

The question arises: how is it that the prepared SOA is unable to check a man who publicly enters their country? This is not someone who came to Zagreb via migrant routes. He arrived with a passport and through legitimate means.

What kind of security can the political leadership of Croatia and its intelligence and security apparatus guarantee to its citizens?

On the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, it is clearly visible that Aborass is still listed as a medical attaché at the Libyan Embassy.

But Aborass did not come to Croatia to perform attaché duties. He needed entry into Croatia to open a bank account from which he would finance terrorist activities, and then returned to Libya to continue his operations.

Intelligence data indicate that armed terrorist groups in Libya aim to strengthen their members in Libyan diplomatic missions in the Balkans and Europe, especially medical attachés and security personnel in embassies.

Croatia seems to be among the first. Did terrorists from the East choose Zagreb as one of their points for a reason? The Security and Intelligence Agency is clearly unprepared for such actions from the East. They are not even able to check the activities of their own ambassador in that East.

Therefore, instead of agitating radical Muslims to operate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they would be better off clearing Croatia of terrorists who obviously do not need agitation.

While they were accusing neighbours, an operational terrorist cell was formed in the capital of our Lipa.

Ambassador Bošnjak was appointed by the political leadership of Croatia. That same ambassador has been in the East for a long time. How is it that his country is unable to monitor the activities of its ambassador?

Croatia's security system has clearly failed.

The Aborass case is clear evidence that Croatia is not doing much in the fight against terrorism. By allowing terrorists to operate and establish cells in Zagreb, it is actually jeopardising the security of the European Union.

Also, Zagreb, as the capital of Croatia, is often visited by foreign high officials. Can Croatia guarantee their safety if we know that people like Aborass enter and work unhindered?

Aborass on the battlefield

Croatia is a member of the European Union, and its leaders often present it as the first and biggest barrier to the penetration of terrorists and suspicious individuals from the East.
On the other hand, one can justifiably question the messages of Kolinda Grabar Kitarović at almost all international meetings. The former Croatian President portrayed Bosnia and Herzegovina as a terrorist cell at those meetings. Did she perhaps do this intentionally, and can she be brought into the context of the whole situation, given that Ambassador Tomislav Bošnjak was appointed by the administration of her time?

The European Union, NATO, and other international factors in the fight against terrorism should ask themselves how much Croatia is actually doing in that fight. Instead of listening to words, they should perhaps check the situation on the ground.

The fight against terrorism must be constant, and Croatia has started making failures in that fight.