American Envoy Is Linked to Arms Deal Cover-Up - NewYorkTimes.

By ERIC SCHMITT
Published: June 24, 2008
WASHINGTON — An American ambassador helped cover up the illegal Chinese origins of ammunition that a Pentagon contractor bought to supply Afghan security forces, according to testimony gathered by Congressional investigators.
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Documents from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

A military attaché has told the investigators that the United States ambassador to Albania endorsed a plan by the Albanian defense minister to hide several boxes of Chinese ammunition from a visiting reporter. The ammunition was being repackaged to disguise its origins and shipped from Albania to Afghanistan by a Miami Beach arms-dealing company.
The ambassador, John L. Withers II, met with the defense minister, Fatmir Mediu, hours before a reporter for The New York Times was to visit the American contractor’s operations in Tirana, the Albanian capital, according to the testimony. The company, under an Army contract, bought the ammunition to supply Afghan security forces although American law prohibits trading in Chinese arms.
The attaché, Maj. Larry D. Harrison II of the Army, was one of the aides attending the late-night meeting, on Nov. 19, 2007. He told House investigators that Mr. Mediu asked Ambassador Withers for help, saying he was concerned that the reporter would reveal that he had been accused of profiting from selling arms. The minister said that because he had gone out of his way to help the United States, a close ally, “the U.S. owed him something,” according to Major Harrison.
Mr. Mediu ordered the commanding general of Albania’s armed forces to remove all boxes of Chinese ammunition from a site the reporter was to visit, and “the ambassador agreed that this would alleviate the suspicion of wrongdoing,” Major Harrison said, according to his testimony.
Investigators interviewed Major Harrison by telephone on June 9, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee made excerpts of the transcript public on Monday.
At the time of the meeting, the company, AEY Inc., was under investigation for illegal arms trafficking involving Chinese ammunition.
On Friday, the president of the company, Efraim E. Diveroli, 22, and three others were charged with selling prohibited Chinese ammunition to the Pentagon that they said was made in Albania.
On March 27, The New York Times published an article that said Albanian documents showed that the Miami company had bought more than 100 million Chinese cartridges that were stored for decades in former cold war stockpiles.
Mr. Diveroli arranged to have them repacked in cardboard boxes, many of which split or decomposed after shipment to the war zones, according to the article. Different lots or types of ammunition were mixed. In some cases the ammunition was dirty, corroded or covered with a film.
The repackaging operation, carried out by an AEY subcontractor at the Rinas Airport in Tirana, has become the focus of the Congressional investigation.
According to the transcript excerpts released by the committee, Major Harrison told investigators that he did not agree with the decision to hide the boxes from the reporter, and said that he felt “very uncomfortable” during the meeting.
Major Harrison, who as the chief of the embassy’s office of defense cooperation was responsible for helping American efforts to train, equip and modernize Albania’s military, said that his suggestion to bar the reporter from visiting the Albania base was rejected.
In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the committee’s chairman, Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, said Monday that there were signs that embassy officials in Tirana tried to cover up the November meeting once Mr. Waxman’s staff began an investigation into the arms company. The letter said the committee would seek to interview Mr. Withers and other embassy personnel.
Attempts to reach Mr. Withers through the United States Embassy in Tirana were met with a request to refer all questions to Washington.
But a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing criminal inquiry into AEY, said he had spoken Monday to Mr. Withers, who adamantly denied Major Harrison’s statement.
The senior official said the committee had never interviewed Mr. Withers or other top embassy personnel, and released the information on Monday to fan interest in a committee hearing on the company’s business dealings scheduled for Tuesday.
A State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, told reporters on Monday that the department was reviewing Mr. Waxman’s letter, which included Major Harrison’s statements.
“We have no information that would support the idea that U.S. officials were involved in some kind of illicit activity,” Mr. Casey said. “But obviously, again, any allegations made, certainly any questions raised, by the chairman of a major committee in Congress, is something that we will be happy to look into.”
Mr. Withers, a Foreign Service officer for 24 years, has been ambassador to Albania since July 2007. He has also served in Latvia, Nigeria, Russia and The Hague. His father, John L. Withers Sr., is a former director of the Agency for International Development.
A spokesman for the Albanian Defense Ministry in Tirana could not be reached for comment, and an official at the Albanian Embassy in Washington declined to answer questions.
Capt. Andres Vazquez, a military lawyer for Major Harrison in Germany, did not answer his phone on Monday night and did not reply to an e-mail message.
According to messages obtained by Congressional investigators, Major Harrison urged embassy officials to inform the committee of the Nov. 19 meeting between the ambassador and minister, but the embassy omitted any reference to the meeting in its official response to the committee’s questions.
Embassy staff members seemed sympathetic to the Albanians’ alarm. The day after the November meeting, the embassy’s regional security officer, Patrick Leonard, wrote an assistant an e-mail message obtained by the committee: “NY Times just arrived today and might be doing a story on this and it might get ugly. Ambassador is very concerned about the case.”
When The Times published its article on March 27, it was quickly forwarded to embassy officials. In an e-mail message to several embassy officials, Mr. Leonard said that the article focused on the arms company’s dealings. “No mention of Embassy involvement — thank God!”
In his letter to Secretary Rice, Mr. Waxman said the e-mail correspondence among embassy officials, combined with Major Harrison’s statements, “raises questions about both the State Department’s role in the shipment of illegal Chinese ammunition and the candor of the department’s response to the committee.”
In January 2007, the Army awarded the company a contract, potentially worth $298 million, that made it the main munitions supplier for Afghan security forces in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Mr. Mediu, the Albanian defense minister, resigned in March, before The Times published its article, after explosions at an arms depot near Tirana killed at least 16 people, wounded nearly 300 and littered the area with shrapnel and live munitions. He has denied corruption charges.
Dan Bilefsky contributed reporting from Prague.

Letter to Secretary Rice

HENRY A. WAXMAN, CALIFORNIA,
CHAIRMAN
TOM LANTOS, CALIFORNIA
EDOLPHUS TOWNS, NEW YORK
PAUL E. KANJORSKI, PENNSYLVANIA
CAROLYN B. MALONEY, NEW YORK
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, MARYLAND
DENNIS J. KUCINICH, OHIO
DANNY K. DAVIS, ILLINOIS
JOHN F. TIERNEY, MASSACHUSETTS
WM. LACY CLAY, MISSOURI
DIANE E. WATSON, CALIFORNIA
STEPHEN F. LYNCH, MASSACHUSETTS
BRIAN HIGGINS, NEW YORK
JOHN A. YARMUTH, KENTUCKY
BRUCE L BRALEY, IOWA
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON,
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
BETTY McCOLLUM, MINNESOTA
JIM COOPER, TENNESSEE
CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, MARYLAND
PAUL W. HODES, NEW HAMPSHIRE
CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, CONNECTICUT
JOHN P. SARBANES, MARYLAND
PETER WELCH, VERMONT
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
COMMITIEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
2157 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6143
MAJORrTY (202) 225-5051
FACSIMILE (202) 225-4784
M'NORrTY (202) 225-5074
www.oversight.house.gov
June 23, 2008
TOM DAVIS, VIRGINIA,
RANKING MINORITY MEMBER
DAN BURTON, INDIANA
CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, CONNECTICUT
JOHN M. McHUGH, NEW YORK
JOHN L. MICA, FLORIDA
MARK E. SOUDER, INDIANA
TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, PENNSYLVANIA
CHRIS CANNON, UTAH
JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., TENNESSEE
MICHAEL R. TURNER, OHIO
DARRELL E. ISSA, CALIFORNIA
KENNY MARCHANT, TEXAS
LYNN A. WESTMORELAND, GEORGIA
PATRICK T. McHENRY, NORTH CAROLINA
VIRGINIA FOXX, NORTH CAROLINA
BRIAN P. BILBRAY, CALIFORNIA
BILL SALI, IDAHO
JIM JORDAN, OHIO
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice:
The Oversight Committee has received information that the U.S. Ambassador to Albania
held a late-night meeting with the Albanian Defense Minister at which the Ambassador approved
removing evidence of the illegal Chinese origins of ammunition being shipped from Albania to
Afghanistan by a U.S. contractor. The Committee has also received information that State
Department officials. tried to conceal this information from the Committee.
On June 9, 2008, Committee staff interviewed Major Larry Harrison, the Chief of the
Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Albania. According to Major Harrison:
• On November 19,2007, the U.S. Ambassador to Albania and his top aides met with the
Albanian Defense Minister to discuss how to respond to a request by the New York Times
to visit a site in Albania where a U.S. arms contractor, AEY, Inc., was removing Chinese
ammunition from its original packaging before sending it to Afghanistan.
• As a result of discussions that went late into the night, the Albanian Defense Minister
ordered one of his top generals to remove all evidence of Chinese packaging before the
site was inspected the following day. Major Harrison told the Committee: "the
Ambassador agreed that this would alleviate the suspicion of wrongdoing."
• At the time of this meeting, AEY was under investigation for illegal arms trafficking
involving Chinese ammunition. Major Harrison told the Committee that he did not agree
with the decision to remove the Chinese markings and felt "very uncomfortable" during
the meeting.
Moreover, it appears that Embassy officials sought to keep this information from the
Committee. The Committee asked the State Department to provide any information concerning
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 2
meetings between Embassy officials and the Albanian Defense Ministry, as well as any
information about interventions into AEY's repackaging operation. Although Major Harrison
urged Embassy officials to inform the Committee of the November 19,2007, meeting, Embassy
officials omitted any reference to the meeting in their response.
On Friday, the Justice Department announced the indictment ofAEY and four company
officials for concealing the Chinese origins of the ammunition shipped from Albania to
Afghanistan. Although the circumstances are different, the evidence the Committee has received
suggests that on at least one occasion, Embassy officials also played a role in concealing the
Chinese origins of the ammunition. This evidence raises questions about both the State
Department's role in the shipment of illegal Chinese ammunition and the candor of the
Department's responses to the Committee. To assist the Committee in its ongoing investigation,
I request that several Embassy officials appear before the Committee for transcribed interviews.
I also request that you provide relevant documents to the Committee.
Background
On March 25,2008, the Department of Defense suspended AEY "from future contracting
with any agency in the executive branch of the United States Government.") The basis for this
suspension was evidence that under a $298 million contract with the Army to provide
ammunition to Afghanistan security forces, AEY purchased ammunition in Albania that was
"manufactured in the People's Republic of China between 1962 and 1974.,,2 U.S. law prohibits
the acquisition of ammunition that was made in China?
The Defense Department's suspension was also based on evidence that AEY made false
statements about the true origin of this Chinese ammunition. On November 25,2007, the
President of AEY, Efraim Diveroli, provided the Department with a certification stating that the
manufacturer of ammunition under this contract was MFS 2000, a Hungarian company.4 This
assertion was one Mr. Diveroli "knew to be false or misleading," according to the Department's
suspension and debarment official. 5
) Letter from Robert N. Kittel, Army Suspension and Debarment Official, to Efraim
Diveroli, President, AEY, Inc. (Mar. 25, 2008).
2 Id.
3 Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement § 252.225-7007, "Prohibition on
Acquisition of United States Munitions List Items from CommunistChinese Military
Companies" (Sept. 2006).
4AEY, Inc., Certificate of Conformance (No. AFG-0002-59) (Nov. 25, 2007).
5 Letter from Robert N. Kittel, Army Suspension and Debarment Official, to Efraim
Diveroli, President, AEY, Inc. (Mar. 25,2008).
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 3
The Defense Department's suspension ofAEY came two days before a lengthy New York
Times article disclosed publicly that AEY had shipped to Afghanistan "tens of millions of the
rifle and machine-gun cartridges ... manufactured in China, making their procurement a possible
violation of American law.,,6
Two months after suspending AEY, the Army terminated the Afghan ammunition
contract for default, citing AEY's failure to deliver the ammunition in conformance with the
contract and AEY's subsequent admission that substantial quantities of ammunition were
manufactured in China.? In a letter to Mr. Diveroli terminating the contract on May 23,2008,
the contracting officer stated that AEY delivered ammunition "from a prohibited source and
admits substantial quantities of the ammunition were, in fact, manufactured in factories in the
PRC.,,8 On June 19,2008, AEY, Mr. Diveroli, and three other individuals affiliated with AEY
were indicted on federal procurement fraud, conspiracy, and false statement charges arising from
the procurement of Chinese ammunition under this contract.9
The ammunition purchased by AEY was sold by the Albanian Ministry of Defense
through the Military Export Import Company of Albania (MEICO). The Albanian Defense
Minister at the time of the sales was Fatmir Mediu. According to the New York Times, there is
evidence that Defense Minister Mediu received kickbacks as part of the AEY ammunition
contract. 10 Defense Minister Mediu resigned his position on March 17,2008, one week before
the AEY suspension and the New York Times article, and two days after a major explosion at an
ammunition plant near the Albanian capital, Tirana. 11 The Albanian Prosecutor-General has
accused him of "abuse of power" and making an "unfair profit" by improperly favoring a U.S.Albanian
joint venture to dismantle ammunition.12 The Albanian Parliament has voted to lift his
immunity from prosecution. 13
6 Supplier Under Scrutiny on Aging Armsfor Afghans, New York Times (Mar. 27, 2008).
? Letter from Kim M. Jones, Procuring Contracting Officer, U.S. Army Sustainment
Command, to Efraim Diveroli, President, AEY, Inc. (May 23,2008).
8 Id.
9 Indictment, United States v. AEY, Inc. et al., S.D. Fla. (No. 08-20574) (June 19,2008).
10 Supplier Under Scrutiny on Aging Armsfor Afghans, New York Times (Mar. 27,
2008).
11 Albanian Prosecutor-General Accuses Ex-Defense Minister in Ammunition Disposal
Case, Associated Press (Apr. 26, 2008).
12 Id.
13 Albanian Army ChiefFired Over Deadly Ammunition Dump Blast, Associated Press
(June 16,2008).
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 4
The November Meeting with the Albanian Defense Minister
On June 9, 2008, Committee staff conducted a transcribed interview of Major Larry
Harrison. Major Harrison is a Defense Department official working in Albania, where he serves
as the Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation. In this role, Major Harrison is responsible for
providi.ng :'traini~g and e~uipment to support the modernization of Albania's military as well as
humanItanan assIstance." 4 .
The interview with Major Harrison lasted about one hour, at which point he expressed an
interest in seeking the advice of counsel, and the Defense Department attorney participating in
the interview terminated the session. On June 12,2008, counsel for Major Harrison informed the
Committee staff that it would take at least two weeks for him to prepare for the continuation of
Major Harrison's interview. IS
According to Major Harrison, the Albanian Defense Minister, Fatmir Mediu, called him
on November 19,2007, to request an urgent meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Albania, John
L. Withers, II. 16 Major Harrison stated during his interview that the Albanian Defense Minister
was concerned that a New York Times reporter planned to inspect the facility at Rinas Airport in
Tirana where AEY was conducting its operation to repackage Chinese ammunition before
shipping it to Afghanistan, a process that included removing some ammunition from its original
Chinese packaging. The reporter's visit, he said, was scheduled for the following day.17
According to Major Harrison, the Albanian Defense Minister was "very concerned and
requested ofme to set up an appointment to see the Ambassador or DCM [Deputy Chief of
Mission] about the New York Times reporter.,,18 Major Harrison stated that the Defense Minister
was worried that the reporter would reveal allegations of corruption against him. According to
Major Harrison:
The Minister's main concern that he brought to my attention was he was concerned that
the New York Times would write an article about Albanian corruption in the Ministry of
14 U.S. Embassy, Tirana, Albania, Embassy Sections (online at http://tirana.usembassy.
gov/sections.html) (accessed June 13,2008).
IS Telephone call between Andres Vazquez, Judge Advocate General, and Majority Staff,
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (June 12,2008).
16 House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Transcribed Interview of
Major Larry D. Harrison (June 9, 2008).
17 Id.
18 Id.
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 5
Defense. And the reason for his concern was ... what this would do for his reputation
personally as well as Albania. 19
Major Harrison stated that in response to the Albanian Defense Minister's request, he
contacted the U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief ofMission, Stephen Cristina, who arranged for a
meeting to take place at his private residence in Tirana that evening. Major Harrison personally
attended the meeting, along with the Albanian Defense Minister, Ambassador Withers, Deputy
Chief of Mission Cristina, and the Embassy's Regional Security Officer, Patrick Leonard.
According to Major Harrison, the meeting lasted for several hours, ending around midnight.2o
Major Harrison told the Committee that during this meeting, the Albanian Defense
Minister asked for help from the U.S. Ambassador?l According to Major Harrison, "He made
several comments to the effect ofhow he had been a friend of the U.S., he'd help the U.S.... He
felt the U.S. owed him something.,,22
Major Harrison stated that the officials then discussed how to handle the New York Times
reporter. He stated that his advice was to not allow the reporter to visitthe facility, but that his
advice was not accepted. Instead, the Albanian Defense Minister called the commanding general
of the Albanian military forces and instructed him to remove all Chinese ammunition boxes from
the site of the repackaging operation so that "there would be nothing for the reporter to see.,,23
According to Major Harrison, "the Ambassador agreed that this would alleviate the suspicion of
wrongdoing, if Mr. Wood [the New York Times reporter], while he was at Rinas, did not see
Chinese ammo boxes.,,24
Major Harrison stated during his interview that he was "very uncomfortable" with these
actions because there was an ongoing criminal investigation of AEY's activities in Albania?S
During his interview with Committee staff, Major Harrison had the following exchange:
Q: So at the time of this meeting between the Defense Minister, the Ambassador, and
several other State Department officials, it was clear that you were discussing
Chinese ammunition; is that correct?
19Id
20 Id.
21 Id.
22 Id
23Id.
24 Id.
25Id
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 6
A: That is correct. That is correct.
Q: And it was clear that AEY was the company that was buying it under a U.S.
contract?
A: That is correct. ...
Q: And you said, by this time, you had been informed that it was illegal under U.S.
law for a U.S. contractor to buy Chinese ammunition. Is that correct?
A: That is correct, yes, sir....
Q: And you said also at this time it was clear that there was an investigation ongoing
... Is that right?
A: That is correct, yes, sir.26
When asked whether everyone agreed with the actions taken during this meeting, Major
Harrison responded: "once again, I want to say I was very uncomfortable in this meeting. And
when I say everyone agreed, personally I didn't agree with what was going on in that meeting,
but I had no voice in it.',27 According to Major Harrison: "they had asked my advice on what to
do. I want to be clear, I was very uncomfortable in this meeting that we were having. But I just
made the comment, 'Well, it's a military installation. You don't have to let him on. You don't
have to let a reporter on. ",28
The day after the meeting between the U.S. Ambassador and the Albanian Defense
Minister, Patrick Leonard, the Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Albania, wrote
to an assistant in an e-mail: "NY Times just arrived today and might be doing a story on this and
it might get ugly.... Ambassador is very concerned about the case.,,29
When the New York Times story was published on March 27,2008, it was quickly
forwarded around the U.S. Embassy. At 6:06 a.m. that morning, Mr. Leonard sent an e-mail to
26Id
27Id.
28 Id
29 E-mail from Patrick Leonard, Regional Security Officer, U.S. Embassy, Tirana,
Albania, to Matthew Becht, Assistant Regional Security Officer et al. (Nov. 20, 2007).
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 7
several Embassy officials, stating that the AEY case "just made front page headlines in the New
York Times -7 pages long. No mention of Embassy involvement - thank God!,,30
The Embassy's Response to the Committee
In addition to obtaining information about the November 2007 meeting between the u.s.
Ambassador and the Albanian Defense Minister, the Oversight Committee has also obtained
documents that describe how officials at the U.s. Embassy in Albania overruled efforts by Major
Harrison to inform the Committee of this meeting and the subsequent removal of Chinese
markings.
On March 28, 2008, the Oversight Committee sent the State Department a document
request seeking "[a]ll communications related to AEY, its subcontractors, partners, middlemen,
brokers; sellers, or transport companies between officials from the State Department, the
government of Albania, and any other foreign governments.,,3! In addition to this letter request,
on April 4, 2008, Committee staff requested the following specific information:
1. Information on the US Embassy in Albania's interactions with AEY or its
representatives;
2. Information on the Embassy's interactions with the Albanian government (Ministry of
Defense, MElCO) regarding AEY's contract and activities; and
3. Information on any intervention in November or December 2007 by US officials (DOD
or State) into AEY's subcontractor's ammunition packaging operation at the airport near
Tirana, perhaps involving shutting down the packaging operation because of violations of
US law regarding the country of origin ofweapons.32
The State Department responded to this request on April 9, 2008. In an e-mail to
Committee staff, the State Department's legislative affairs officer forwarded answers she
received "from AmEmbassy today regarding post personnel interaction with AEY, DOD, and the
Govt of Albania.,,33 In response to the second question, regarding contacts between U.S.
30 E-mail from Patrick Leonard, Regional Security Officer, U.S. Embassy, Tirana,
Albania, to Shawn Sherlock et al. (Mar. 27, 2008).
3! Letter from Henry A. Waxman, Chairman, House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, to Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State (Mar. 28, 2008).
32 E-mail from Majority Staff, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
to U.S. Department of State Legislative Affairs (Apr. 4, 2008).
33 E-mail from U.S. Department of State Legislative Affairs, to Staff, House Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform (Apr. 9,2008).
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 8
Embassy officials and the Albanian Ministry ofDefense, the Embassy made the following
statement:
In the context of facilitating the DOD-led investigation into this matter, Embassy
representatives met on at least three occasions with GOA [Government of
Albania] officials, including representatives ofMEICO and the MOD. Embassy
reps were there in a support role to the DOD lead investigator.34
In response to the third question, regarding any State Department interventions affecting
the AEY repackaging facility, the Embassy responded: "Neither the Embassy official nor the
DOD investigator shut down or interfered in any operations at the facility.,,35
The Embassy's responses do not describe the November 2007 meeting between Embassy
officials and the Albanian Defense Minister. Instead, the Embassy asserted in its response to the
Committee that it played little or no role with respect to this issue, stating:
We concluded that the Embassy had no proper advocacy role in a standard commercial
dispute between a contractor and the host government and we should only get involved if
directed to do so through a formal front channel cable with DOD clearance.36
Documents obtained by the Committee show that Major Harrison urged Embassy
officials to inform the Committee about the November 2007 meeting, but he was overruled. As
Embassy officials prepared a response to the Committee, they circulated a draft that made no
mention of the November 2007 meeting. In response, Major Harrison circulated a new draft in
which he used the "track changes" function on Microsoft Word to suggest that the November
2007 meeting be included. Major Harrison's draft included the following language:
Do we mention the meeting at Steve's house on 19 November (present was Amb
Withers, DCM Cristina, RSO Patrick, and ODC Chief Harrison) where the Amb
recommended to Minister to prevent the reporters from seeing the munitions at the airport
on the following day and the Minister called MG Spahiu at ... 23:00 to have ... all of the
ammunition removed from the airport by 0800 the next morning?37
34 Id
35 Id
36 Id
37 U.S. Embassy, Tirana, Albania, Informationfor House Oversight and Government
Reform Inquiry (draft by U.S. Army Major Larry D. Harrison, II, Chief, Office of Defense
Cooperation) (undated).
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 9
Embassy officials did not accept Major Harrison's suggestion. In the final response,
Embassy officials removed Major Harrison's proposed language about the November 2007
meeting and omitted any references to recommendations made by the U.S. Ambassador to the
Albanian Defense Minister.
Although the final version of the Embassy's response indicated that it had been "Cleared"
by "LHarrison," Major Harrison apparently never approved it.38 After consulting a military
attorney with the Judge Advocate General, on April 16, 2008, Major Harrison wrote a
memorandum that memorializes his efforts to urge the Embassy to inform the Committee about
the November 2007 meeting. That memorandum states:
The list of questions was sent to me via email to provide input to the answers.
Although I provided input to the third question, the Political-Economic Officer,
the Deputy Chief of Mission and the Ambassador did not accept my input. The
answers were forwarded to the committee with my name on the memo as having
cleared the memo, or in other words, approved the content.
I did not approve of the content of the answers and I am concerned that
information may have been omitted relevant. to the question.39
Request for Interviews and Documents
The information obtained by the Committee raises serious issues. If the information is
accurate, it appears that senior U.S. Embassy officials in Albania approved of the efforts of the
Albanian Defense Minister to conceal evidence of illegal shipments of Chinese ammunition that
are now the subject of a criminal indictment. It also appears that information about the incident
was withheld from the Committee. It is hard to understand what rationale would justify these
actions.
To assist the Committee's investigation into these issues, I request transcribed interviews
with the following individuals no later than July 11,2008:
1. John L. Withers, II, U.S. Ambassador to Albania;
2. Stephen Cristina, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Albania;
3. Patrick Leonard, Regional SecurityOfficer, U.S. Embassy, Albania;
38 U.S. Embassy, Tirana, Albania, Informationfor House Oversight and Government
Reform Inquiry (final response) (undated).
39 Major Larry D. Harrison, Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation, Albania,
Memorandum to ECJ5-E ODC, Albania (Apr. 16,2008).
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
June 23, 2008
Page 10
4. Robert Newsome, Economic/Commercial Section, U.S. Embassy, Albania;
5. Paula Thiede, Political/Economic Section Chief, U.S. Embassy, Albania; and
6. Victor Myev, Political Officer, U.S. Embassy, Albania.
In addition, I request that the Department provide by June 30, 2008, all documents
relating to AEY, its contract, or any part of its operations that were created or possessed by the
U.S. Embassy in Albania or its personnel, including all documents relating to any November
2007 meetings between U.S. Embassy officials and the Albanian Minister of Defense.
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight
committee in the House of Representatives and has broad oversight jurisdiction as set forth in
House Rule X. Attachments to this letter provide additional information on the Committee's
guidelines for transcribed interviews and on how to respond to the Committee's document
request.
If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Stacia Cardille or Russell
Anello with the Committee staff at (202) 225-5420.
Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman
Chairman
Enclosures
cc: Tom Davis
Ranking Minority Member

Source: http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20080623094906.pdf

Kryeministër apo kapo i Camorras shqiptare !

Fatos Lubonja

Lexova me vëmendje intervistën e kryeministrit tonë Sali Berisha botuar me datë 29 maj në “Corriere della Sera”. Kur lexon një intervistë që kryeministri yt i jep një mediaje të huaj dhe jo pak, por gazetës më të madhe italiane, nuk ke të njëjtin disponim që ke kur e dëgjon, apo lexon, nëpër mediat e vendit. Sepse me këto të vendit, si të thuash, jemi brenda familjes. Në këto media edhe bërtasim edhe tallemi edhe shahemi, edhe themi “ky është i çmendur”, edhe themi “ky është i madh”, edhe i bëjmë hiçët gjeni dhe gjenitë hiç. Por, kur flet kryeministri yt tek të huajt, ti, si shqiptar, do s’do edhe identifikohesh me përfaqësuesin tënd të lartë, prandaj e merr shumë më seriozisht. Jo vetëm, por takon ndonjë të huaj që e ka lexuar dhe ti e di se ai nuk sheh PD apo PS tek deklaratat e kryeministrit të vendit, por qëndrimet politike të Shqipërisë dhe shqiptarëve në përgjithësi.
E pra s’më ka qëlluar të lexoj një intervistë të Sali Berishës, por edhe të ndonjë lideri tjetër që nga koha e Enver Hoxhës e këtej, ku të konstatoj se nuk identifikohem thuajse me asnjërën nga përgjigjet që i ka dhënë kryeministri im gazetarit italian. Dhe vetvetiu më erdhi të shtroj pyetjen: si ka mundësi që unë nuk identifikohem me kryeministrin tim në asgjë që ai thotë. Këtu ka një problem të madh: ose unë jam jashtë këtij realiteti, ose jam krejtësisht i papërfaqësuar, ose është kryeminstri ynë jashtë realitetit.
Le ta marrim me rradhë intervistën dhe ta komentojmë.
E para që vlen të komentohet është çështja e centralit termobërthamor. Pa pikë mëdyshjeje kryeministri ynë merr përsipër të na ndërtojë një central termobërthamor dhe na del se e vetmja pengesë që paska pasur deri tani ishte qeveria e majtë italiane, kurse tani që në gadishullin apenin është rikthyer në pushtet “luani” Berlusconi, këtë punë do ta ketë më të lehtë. Por shton edhe se, nëse nuk do qeveria italiane, ai do të vazhdojë për këtë marrëveshje me privatë. Madje nga intervista del se kryeministri ynë nuk merakoset edhe aq për energjinë e shqiptarëve, por ai kërkon ta ofrojë Shqipërinë si truallin ku do të ndërtohet centrali termobërthamor që do të prodhojë, sipas Corrieres, energji “për Italinë”. Dhe kjo vërtetohet, edhe nga ministri Tremonti i cili çuditërisht e paska njoftuar prej kohësh, sapo u bë ministër, një projekt të tillë. Vërtetohet, indirekt, edhe nga fakti se Kryeministri ynë tashmë ka arritur marrëveshje për ndërtimin edhe të disa Tec-eve ku, për të mos përmendur atë të Vlorës, spiakat ai i Durrësit (ME QYMYR!!!) që planifikohet të prodhojë 1300 MW çka, përdijeni të lexuesit, është afro baraz me kapacitetet aktuale të të gjithë Shqipërisë. Dhe kjo është më shumë se shqetësuese, është për të vënë alarmin kombëtar, pasi kjo është shenja se politika jonë po vazhdon ta trajtojë vendin si një mjet pushteti e pasurimi për disa politikanë me filozofinë “merr, plaçkit sa të mundesh për veten dhe familjen tënde e ik”, kurse një pjesë italianësh vazhdojnë ta shohin si koshin e tyre të plehërave. Me fjalë të tjera kryeminstri ynë angazhohet ta përdorë tokën shqiptare pak a shumë ashtu siç e ka përdorur Camorra Campagna-n: si truall për të hedhur ndotjet kimike të Veriut të pasur, për t’u pasuruar camorristët. Hajde doktor hajde. Edhe për çështjen e ngritjes së djegësve të plehrave italiane duket sikur i vjen keq që na qënka aprovuar ligji se, përndryshe, po të ishte për doktorin, italianët mund të digjnin edhe plehërat këtu, më ndonjë vend në bregdet pranë e pranë me Tec-in me qymyr dhe me pusin gjigant prej betoni që do të hapet për skoriet bërthamore. Po t’i besojmë gazetarit që ka intervistuar Berishën del se ky vend na qenka lokalizuar andej rrotull Durrësit, dmth. në zonën me popullsinë më të dendur të vendit dhe kjo e ka një shpjegim sepse italianëve kështu u kushton më lirë transporti.
Më poshtë gazetari e pyet kryeministrinë tonë lidhur me antarësimin në Nato. Jam në gjendje të dalloj e pranoj diferencat në qëndrimet ndaj Natos. Personalisht bëj pjesë ndër ata që nuk konsiderojnë gjë për t’u festuar futjen në një organizatë lufte, ndonëse nuk i kundërshtoj ata që thonë se kjo ka edhe aspekte pozitive. Por nuk mund të pranoj kurrsesi një përgjigje si ajo e kryeministrit tim kur gazetari e pyet se ç’mendim ka për ngritjen e bazave të Natos në Shqipëri: “Jemi gati të bëjmë çdo gjë që të na kërkojë Nato”. Kjo më duket e papërgjegjëshme. Berisha s’mund të sillet me Shqipërinë sikur të jetë pronari edhe i tokës shqiptare. Ashtu sikurse për termocentralin bërthamor, atë me qymyr etj. vendime kaq të rëndësishme kërkojnë të paktën formalisht konsultim me komunitetet në shkallë kombëtare apo lokale. Sepse të ngresh baza luftarake këtu, në një vend kaq të vogël, do të thotë jo vetëm të jesh nën shënjestër kot së koti, por edhe t’u mohosh shqiptarëve një copë territor, edhe të shkatërrosh bregdetin apo ndonjë zonë tjetër të vendit. A nuk ka dëgjuar Berisha se çfarë po ndodh në Italinë e Corrieres kundër zgjerimit të bazës së Vicencas? Si mund të marrë përsipër ai të heqë brekët e vendit të vet në këtë mënyrë fare të pakondicionuar!?
Kryeministri ynë vazhdon të flasë sikur të jetë pronari i vetëm i Shqipërisë edhe kur gazetari i Corrieres i thotë se imazhi jashtë shtetit i tij nuk është i mirë dhe i përmend tarfikun e armëve dhe Gërdecin. Ai jo vetem ua vesh korrupsionin amerikanëve, por zbulon edhe gjëra të tjera: thotë se na paska vendosur t’i japë armë gratis Afganistanit dhe se e ka bërë një gjë të tillë edhe gjatë luftës në Ballkan. Kur gazetari i kërkon se kujt, ai nxiton t’i thotë ta lerë këtë muhabet – sikur të jetë duke folur me ndonjë mik në kafene. Së pari, nga sa kemi lexuar shypin, kjo nuk na rezulton e vërtetë. Armët nuk janë dhënë gratis, por janë shitur, pa paragjykime miqësish apo armiqësish, veçse nuk dimë se në ç’farë xhepash kanë hyrë. E dyta, nëse janë dhënë gratis, pse u dashkan dhënë gratis, kur vendi ka kaq nevoja dhe, kush e mori këtë vendim për t’i dhënë gratis duhet të përgjigjet?
Por le të kalojmë më tej në intervistën skandaloze të Kryeministrit tonë. Kur bie fjala për emigrantët shqiptarë në Itali kryeministri flet sikur të ketë ardhur nga Hëna. Atij nuk i intereson fare se tani që ka ardhur në Pushtet “luani i gadishullit” në koalicion me një parti me tipare të qarta nacional - socialiste si ajo e Bosit (Lega Nord) aty ka filluar gjahu i emigrantëve në përgjithësi dhe i shqiptarëve në veçanti. Në vend që të reagojë, si kolegu i tij rumun, që ka protestuar disa herë për keqtrajtimin e bashkëatdhetarëve të tij në Itali, ai kërkon petulla me ujë: statusin e minoritetit për emigrantët atje saqë gazetari i thotë me ironi: “a mos po kërkoni që shqiptarët të trajtohen si tirolezët e jugut”, që janë popullsia më e privilegjuar e Italisë.
Edhe kur e pyetet më poshtë për Del Ponten dhe akuzat e saj kryeministri ynë jep një përgjigje aspak prej politikani: “Kjo grua nuk jep prova. Ndoshta është e afashinuar nga Agata Christi por është një imituese e keqe e saj. OKB-ka ka bërë një zgjedhje të tmerrshme me emërimin e kësaj gruaje…”. Unë e kuptoj se kryeministri nuk ka gjetur kohë të lexojë librin e Del Pontes. Mund ta kuptoj edhe maçoizmin e tij kur në çdo frazë thotë “kjo grua”, por, përderisa bën pjesë ndër ata njerëz që duhet të jenë të përgatitur për të dhënë përgjigje edhe për këtë çështje në petkun e kryeministrit të Shqipërisë, duhet të kishte ndonjë këshilltar që ta lexonte. Të paktën kapitullin për Kosovën. Sepse, në fakt, del Ponte ka dhënë shumë prova atje për faktin se Haradinaj me shokë kanë vrarë dhe frikësuar dëshmitarë shqiptarë dhe ai, nëse është vërtet i merakosur për Kosëvën dhe të drejtën, nuk duhet të qajë hallin e Haradinajt, por të kosovarëve që del se nuk qënkan në duar fort të sigurta dhe demokratike në atë vend. Kurse lidhur me akuzën për trafik organesh Del Ponte thotë vetëm se ka pasur denoncime dhe se ka kryer hetime që nuk kanë ofruar prova të mjaftueshme edhe për shkak të prokurorit shqiptar. Ai fare mirë, nëse është i sigurtë se nuk ka ndodhur asgjë e tillë në Burrel, mund të përgjigjej se shteti ynë është i gatshëm të japë të tërë mundësitë për t’u hetuar deri në fund kjo histori që të na hiqet përfundimisht njolla e një dyshimi të tillë. Mirëpo kryeministri ynë preferon të futet shpejt e shpejt në listën e atyre të pushtetëshmëve që denoncon del Ponte si pengues të drejtësisë.
Le të vijmë tani tek përgjigja mbyllëse e intervistës me të cilën përsëri nuk mund të pajtohem kurrsesi. I pyetur nëse do të vazhdojë të kandidojë Berisha përgjigjet se “në pension mund ta nxjerrë vetëm Zoti dhe populli shqiptar”. Që me “populli shqiptar” kupton votën kjo më duket e kuptueshme dhe e pranueshme, por nuk del qartë se çfarë kupton kryeministri me “Zoti”. Më shumë gjasa ka që ta ketë fjalën për ndonjë sëmundje të rëndë, përderisa flet për pension dhe jo për vdekje. Mirëpo kjo përgjigje tregon se Berisha nuk ka mësuar fare as nga përvoja e vendeve demokratike dhe as nga përvoja e vetë shqiptarëve. Nuk po përmend përvojën e vendeve demokratike, por po përmend vetëm atë tonën. A nuk e di Berisha se pasi u sëmur rëndë Enver Hoxha jo vetëm që nuk hoqi dorë nga pushteti, por nxitoi të varrosë sa më parë kë mundi e si mundi edhe nga rradhët e bashkëpunëtorëve të tij dhe askush nuk guxonte t’i thoshte se ishte i sëmurë jo vetëm fizikisht, por edhe mendërisht. A e ka parasysh ai atë thënien: “Të ruajtë Zoti mendtë”. Pushteti korrupton, pushteti zhvillon paranoja, mani madhështie, por edhe konsumon, prandaj të pushtetshmëve u duhen vendosur kufij në demokraci dhe jo të pritet vendimi i Zotit për tërheqjen e tyre.
E di që dikush do të nxitojë të më thotë: po ti që e ke mbështetur riardhjen e Berishës në pushtet, a nuk e dije se kush ishte Berisha? Nxitoj të them se kur e kam mbështetur, kam mbështetur principet që ka mbrojtur sepse ai erdhi në pushtet duke denoncuar Camorrën socialiste, duke premtuar Vlorën turistike kundër termocentraleve me naftë apo qymyr, duke premtuar ruajtjen e ambjentit dhe jo fabrika çimentoje që po gërryejnë e shkatërrojmë malet shqiptare, (e jo më centrale bërthamore), duke premtuar plane urbanistike dhe kontroll territori dhe jo bashkëpunim me shkatërruesit e territorit. Me një fjalë e kam mbështetur sepse premtoi të luftojë Camorrën dhe jo se do të bëhet kapo i Camorras shqiptare. Nxitoj gjithashtu të them se kjo nuk është një akuzë thjeshtë kundër personit Berisha, por kundër sistemit camorrist të ngritur në Shqipëri ku kryetari i qeverisë është njëherësh edhe kryetar i Camorras. Shtoj se, nga sa e kam ndjekur Berishën ve re se, veçanërisht pas Gërdecit, ndoshta për shkak të akuzave që e implikojnë familjarisht, kryeministri po bëhet totalisht autoreferencial; shikon një Shqipëri që e shikon vetëm ai, me një territor të madh sa Rusia, me kriminalitet më të pakët se Evropa, me siguri për ndërtimin e centraleve bërthamore dhe që, kur ndeshet me opinione të kundërta, nxiton të gjejë armikun kudo që nga New York Times deri tek gazetari i fundit shqiptar.
Nuk do të shkruaja kaq me dëshpërim, megjithatë, sikur të mos mendoja se me këtë historinë e centralit termobërthamor, çmenduria kamorriste duket sikur premton të kalojë të gjitha kufijtë dhe të mos konstatoja, nga ana tjetër, nënshtrimin apo komprometimin gati përfundimtar të tërë atyre që duhet t’u bien këmbanave të alarmit. Vendi duket i zhytur në një depresion dhe apati të thellë dhe, në këto kushte, mund të realizohet çdo çmenduri. Nuk çuditem sikur doktori ta quajë nesër termobërthamorin “çlirimi përfundimtar i Shqipërisë” dhe të gjithë ta duartrokasin si dikur shokun Enver. Në fakt që nga Metalurgjiku e këtej kemi pasur disa çlirime “të treta”, “të katërta”, mjafton të hedhësh sytë rreth e rrotull vendit, por ky do të ishte vërtet përfundimtari sepse, me një shpërthim të tij gërdecar, do të “çlirohemi” më në fund nga të gjitha streset dhe hallet që na kanë nxirë jetën.

Marre nga Gazeta "Korrieri".