Goshince police station attacked and taken by armed Albanians

[Gocka]

There are a few angles.

Either DPMNE is using a false flag/fear tactic to deflect attention and present themselves as our protector.

SDSM and their partners want to scare the leadership of DPMNE into compromising by threatening to unleash the dogs if they don't.

Or the terrorists are plotting a comeback tour and hoping to capitalize on the instability.


The hardcore elements that are left of the KLA and NLA had a falling out with the likes of Ahemti. So just because the former NLA are now ministers, doesn't mean there isn't a real threat here.

I too find it odd that no one in Macedonia is taking it seriously and again the timing is all too convenient. The timing is clearly linked to something, its not random. I find it odd that this is the third such incident without anyone being killed. Like it was stated above, we all know what the hard core elements of the KLA are capable of, why do they keep sparing lives?

In all fairness though, that selo is completely Albanian so odds are that the police were also Albanian. That might be why they didn't kill them. That is why its very sketchy that they said that they had a Macedonian translator, I highly doubt the police were Macedonian, so why the need to speak to them in Macedonian?

Its too early to tell. I initially thought it was SDSM and their supporters when the "bomb" went of near the capital building, but now with all the shady details surrounding this latest "attack" I'm starting to think it could be DPMNE.

If it is a real threat we will find out because there will be another attack.

Back in 1999 and 2000, before the conflict of 2001, there were several threats and non lethal attacks before they got brazen enough to attack full on. So just because they didn't kill anyone yet doesn't mean its not coming. They might be testing the waters to see what our response capabilities are. The KLA does still exist despite what people say. It exists because you still have huge numbers of Albanians who want a separate Albanian state carved out of Macedonia. The difference now is that they do no have the support of the Americans like they did in 2001. But with all the anti Gruevski rhetoric coming from Europe and USA, it wouldn't be hard to claim atrocities against Albanians. All the ground work has been laid. The stretch from authoritarian regime (which some already call it) to Brutal dictator, is not large.

[Phoenix]

Macedonia is probably the easiest of the Balkan nations to destabilize.
that threat can be orchestrated internally or externally.
I guess this is a question of who is Macedonia's greatest threat at the moment?

My belief is that America is Macedonia's greatest threat, more particularly American economic and geopolitical interests.

The 'Turkish Stream' project could very well be the prime objective of the U.S. as a foreign policy goal, not its implementation but discouraging its development.

Of the Turkish Stream nations, Macedonia is its weakest link, if the U.S. can 'discourage' Macedonia's involvement in the project, the project possibly fails.
To do this the Americans can just as easily send their own people over the border pretending that they're a shiptar terrorist group or they can unleash their shiptar dogs to do the same.

It clearly serves as a warning for someone's end game.

[DraganOfStip]

Many people believe this is just a distraction by the ruling elite,the locals in that region heard about the alleged attack from the media and did not corroborate the policemen's statement that there was a machine gun fire while they were leaving.
Here are few links:

http://lokalno.mk/selmani-nema-prichini-za-konflikt-vo-makedonija-nekoj-saka-da-go-odvleche-vnimanieto/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=selmani-nema-prichini-za-konflikt-vo-makedonija-nekoj-saka-da-go-odvleche-vnimanieto

http://plusinfo.mk/vest/23047/zumberi-posle-ovaa-mestenka-funkcionerite-na-mvr-da-si-podnesat-ostavka

http://plusinfo.mk/vest/23045/kosovskata-policija-ne-zabelezala-somnitelni-poedinci-ili-grupi

http://brif.mk/?p=181684

http://kumanovskimuabeti.mk/opshtina-lipkovo-za-napadot-na-goshince-doznavme-od-mediumite/

http://www.telegraf.mk/aktuelno/makedonija/264827-telegraf-kon-gosince-lipkovci-ne-slusnale-za-teroristickiot-napad

[DraganOfStip]

In all fairness though, that selo is completely Albanian so odds are that the police were also Albanian. That might be why they didn't kill them. That is why its very sketchy that they said that they had a Macedonian translator, I highly doubt the police were Macedonian, so why the need to speak to them in Macedonian?

I don't know about the other 3,but the one that got beaten was probably even Serb looking at his surname,the media say his name is Marijan Velickovic:

http://www.dw.de/%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0%D0%B5%D1%86-%D0%BE%D0%B4-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5-%D1%85%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%B8-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD/a-18396778?maca=maz-rss-maz-pol_makedonija_timemk-4727-xml-mrss

[EgejskaMakedonia]

For those interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp_FGEFxb5g#t=109

[DraganOfStip]

The director of the hospital that had allegedly treated the beaten officer denies such a thing.
This becomes more and more dubious with every passing minute...

http://www.makdenes.org/content/article/26971894.html

[Volokin]

Macedonian Government Accused of Faking Police Hostage Situation to Inflame Ethnic Tensions

By Arijeta Lajka
April 22, 2015 | 9:20 am

Macedonian government officials have accused ethnic Albanian militants of taking several police officers hostage Tuesday near the country's northern border with Kosovo, though opposition leaders and an ethnic Albanian political group are claiming the incident was faked.

Around 40 gunmen who spoke Albanian and wore an insignia associated with the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the KLA's Macedonian branch, the National Liberation Army (NLA), filmed themselves taking four police officers captive, according to Macedonian Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski and reports by Reuters and Balkan Insight.

"This morning, Macedonian state institutions were the target of a terrorist act," Kotevski said at a press conference.

The gunmen reportedly tied up and beat three of the officers, and appeared on camera demanding "an Albanian state." According to Kotevski, the officers somehow escaped when the hostage who was not tied up freed the others. The video of the incident has not yet surfaced.

The ethnically charged incident comes after a string of attacks in Macedonia allegedly committed by Albanians. Macedonia is currently embroiled in political crisis that began in February when Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski was accused of illegally spying on more than 20,000 citizens, including journalists, religious figures, and rival politicians.

Several Balkan media outlets have suggested that the Macedonian government staged the kidnapping incident Tuesday to inflame ethnic tensions and draw attention away from the surveillance scandal.

Related: Macedonia cracks down on opposition amid coup allegations and leaked videos

Florian Qehaja, director of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, told VICE News that current political situation in Macedonia is "quite fragile," and seconded the idea that Macedonian government forces were complicit in the kidnapping. Qehaja said that no forces from Kosovo would attempt to tamper with inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia.

"There are no groups that would destabilize the situation in Macedonia and in the region, that belongs to the past," Qehaja said. "This is part of their political game in Macedonia."

A Kosovo police spokesperson told Reuters that the country's security forcers were not aware of militant activity on the border between the two countries. "I can confirm that during our police work we have not witnessed any movement of individuals or criminal groups crossing illegally the border between Kosovo and Macedonia," the spokesman reportedly said.

Albanian militants were allegedly behind the April 10 bombing of a Macedonian government building. No one was injured in the attack, which also led to claims of Macedonian government involvement. Kosovo newspaper Koha Ditore published a statement purportedly from the NLA and a figure named "Commander Kushtrim" claiming responsibility for the attack, Balkan Insight reported.

The same "Commander Kushtrim" claimed another attack in October with a statement that said the NLA is not content with the Ohrid Agreement, a 2001 peace deal between the Macedonian government and ethnic Albanian groups, including the NLA.

Albanians comprise roughly 30 percent of Macedonia's 2 million citizens, and many feel underrepresented and neglected by the government. After the Ohrid Agreement, the NLA formed the Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), which is currently an active political party.

The DUI reportedly called the incident Tuesday a "provocation" intended to sidetrack the country from achieving ethnic integration, and told citizens "not to worry."

The incident Tuesday raised fears that another conflict could erupt between ethnic Albanians militant groups and Macedonian security forces. Ethnic tensions have been running high since last July, when thousands marched through Macedonia's capital Skopje after six ethnic Albanians were controversially sentenced to life in prison for allegedly murdering five ethnic Macedonian fishermen.

https://news.vice.com/article/macedonian-government-accused-of-faking-police-hostage-situation-to-inflame-ethnic-tensions?utm_source=vicenewsfb

[DedoAleko]

This text is little reminder of 2001. Notice the similarities?

google translate:



War is an agreement between Georgievski and Xhaferi

On January 22, 2001, just five days after Crvenkovski announced tapping affair, which accused the then Prime Minister Georgievski and Interior Minister Dosta Dimovska happened terrorist attack on a police station in Tearce that killed a police officer and three injured . Responsibility through press-communique claimed etc. NLA. Although initial reports were that the people who entered Macedonia through Kosovo or trained there (local TV "Kis" said a few days earlier near Shemshevo guards Army captured a few men dressed in uniforms UCHK) SDSM out with statement that the event is responsible for power.
... All this indicates that the current government rather than potential security services to use to investigate these forms of terrorism, does everything for them illegally to be used in the calculation with their political opponents. The current government in this his behavior is not only an accomplice but is itself a generator that produces continuous security and political instability - said SDSM immediately after the attack.
Such attacks on January 24, the Albanian partner in government, DPA, retorted that affairs and terrorist actions in Macedonia synchronized and stretch from one center - SDSM - order demolition of the Government.
Messages that responsibility in the hands of the government at that time receiving an increasing number of coalition partners SDSM - LDP and Andrei Zernovski.
On February 16, the day Enough DIMOVSKA resigns after a string of fights between the government and opposition to who bugged, the television crew of A1 TV is stopped at Tanusevci.
- This is the last warning to the government that we should not flinch from forming paramilitary formations in Macedonia. Besides political crisis, which contributed to the government, now the state is located before security crisis - said then Vlado Buckovski spokesman SDSM.
On 22 February, the intervention center of the Interior Ministry and ARM should monitor the security situation on the northern border. A few days later held a parliamentary debate on the affair "tapping", which VMRO-DPMNE stop position that Crvenkovski with such affairs and attacks on institutions destabilize the state came to power. Then almost no day that does not occur any more security incident - March 7 checkpoint, March 9 - Kodra Fura, 10 and 11 March - Brest, March 15 - Tetovo ....

While the state was on fire, people Crvenkovski announces people on street

On March 30, 2001, amidst fire and constant offensives SDSM will use the space in front of the international community to officially offer the concept of a broad government coalition (today it is called "transitional government") as the lifeline for all the problems in the country, including the political crisis resulting from the release of DA at the end of 2000, the wiretapping affair that opens exactly Crvenkovski, and military conflict. If you fail to plan a transitional government, Crvenkovski, much like the script now announced the opposition says will people out on the street. He announces mass protests military conflict.
- SDSM no intention with crossed arms looking like breaking up the state government. Battle will lead into the Parliament and the people of the street protests, because in this way in normal states collapses abnormal power - Crvenkovski said at a press conference on 30 March 2001
Negotiations for the new transitional government begin sometime in early April, when the first meeting was arranged between Crvenkovski and Georgievski. Negotiations should define staffing solutions that will get SDSM, and the mandate of the new government. On May 15 a sort broad coalition that includes more parliamentary parties in the state. That government stands behind the framework agreement signed in August. When the in September 2001 appear ideas constitutional amendments of the Framework Agreement to go to referendum, Crvenkovski said he will leave power if this happens. He has everything longer and longer trying to hold the interim government. "Night" on September 17, wrote: "Everyone knows that in the grand coalition government came without people voted for him. And now the same Crvenkovski said that if you happen referendum will exit from the government. So Crvenkovski wants people in any one variant to be questioned. The game is clear, he wants a new coup attempt by forming a new parliamentary majority to grab power without asking the people. "
Finger to Xhaferi and Georgievski
On July 1, 2001 Crvenkovski directly aims a finger to Xhaferi and especially to Georgievski. He accuses both government leaders that have wines in 1999, during the Kosovo crisis, did not realize what danger the security of the entire region.
"I fear that the military option has advocated from the government option is to fight terrorism, but the option for total interethnic war that will disappear Macedonia, "Crvenkovski then when the public and VMRO-DPMNE sought support for a military defeat of the NLA.
The same day, the media Crvenkovski accused Georgievski that first, although they had in their hands, to let people NLA as Javid Hassan Fazli said, for the three months then beating them on the mountains.
- Can the man who created the crisis and creating ambience that culminate security within two and a half years now count that we will forget ... A month "is pimplashe" about Tanushevci, still about a month Tetovo Kale, and now two weeks estimated that disables a state effectively cope with terrorists - stated the first social democrat.
Several days later, in another interview, the SDSM leader, although his party is already part of the grand coalition, the question whether, in his Prime Minister Georgievski consciously pushed Macedonia to war will respond: "Is conscious or unconscious, do not know, but if it continues such as concerns, work pushes in that direction. "
On July 26, in an interview with TV "A1", the SDSM leader commented: "Georgievski and Xhaferi continue to function as deadly enemies in statements and on the ground, but at the same time as Siamese twins and faithful allies in achieving the ultimate goal . People have the right to hear the truth, because calling President Trajkovski at this time to be a real president ... Let elaborate international standing, the security situation and the concept out of the crisis. "

Fictions war or aggression from the North

Two quite different claims was the crisis in 2001 - one of the opposition SDSM that war is fictions of VMRO-DPMNE and DPA, but, again, Prime Minister Georgievski on March 19 stated public stance that "Macedonia is subject to aggression from Kosovo." With that attitude at that time was agreeable and complete international community. Like yesterday, in 2001 about 50 guerrillas that (yesterday were about 40) on 21 February occupy Tanushevci and send a message that no one should go to their territory. Then in that region are shifting about 300 guerrillas.
And the leaders of the two major parties of the Albanians - Arben Xhaferi (DPA) and Imer Imeri (PDP) adopted a joint declaration condemned violence against the Macedonian state. One of the key moments in this period was the attitude of Xhaferi, who said that it is a particular problem in Albanian, then Thaci clarify that in fact "it is interethnic (megjualbanski), not interethnic conflict".


izvor: http://dnevnik.mk/default.asp?ItemID...4D9FD046602514

[ramo]

Few media and newspapers in Macedonia published that the 40 terrorists came to Macedonia with 2 cars carrying equipment - information they got from Ministry of Interrior. I am not saying the Ministry is lying it is just that they gave announcement that sounds like joke, probably some information is missing . This joke about 2 cars carrying 40 full armed terrorists can become viral on the the social media.

P.S. I agree with the forum member above me that vmro was in power when conflict in 2001 started and they intentionally neglected the intelligence reports about armed groups digging trenches in Macedonia for months.

[makedonche]

Time to give them more than they bargained for!

[DraganOfStip]

Meanwhile in Australia...

[Volokin]

Russian reaction:

Russia Voices Concern of Gosince Guard Barrack Attack
April 23, 2015, Thursday @ 15:56 in Politics » DOMESTIC

Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a press release on Wednesday to express its deep concern over the border incident in which a group of 40 armed men briefly took over the guard barrack in the Macedonian village of Gosince, close to the border with Kosovo, early on Tuesday morning.

"It is with deep concern that we receive the report of the attack on the night of April 21, by a group of armed men on the Macedonian border post of Gosince, on the Kosovo part of the border between Macedonia and Serbia. The incident at the Macedonian border shows that there are deep ethnic tensions and a potential for conflict in this part of the Balkans. This situation is primarily affected by the serious deficit of security and respect for the rule of law in Kosovo, which is a consequence of the failure to solve the Kosovo issue in its entirety. We also should pay attention to the increasingly frequent 'Great Albania' calls in the region. We hope that the Macedonian authorities will return order in the troubled region and will receive the necessary international support", the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry writes in its press release.

The Ministry further describes the incident, that happened during the night between Monday and Tuesday, when the group disarmed the four policemen at the remote station and videotaped as they beat one of the policemen and issued ethnic and political threats against Macedonia.

http://www.independent.mk/articles/16725/Russia+Voices+Concern+of+Gosince+Guard+Barrack+Attack

US reaction:

American Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily said that the United States are prepared to help Macedonia if they can in the aftermath of the incident when a group of 40 armed men briefly took over a police station in the village of Gosince at the border with Kosovo on Tuesday early morning.

"We are very grateful that no-one was injured. The people's reaction has been measured and calm looking into what happened, with all political parties and all actors, to the best I can note, condemning the incident. I think that's very good. I've spoken with Macedonian atuhorities about that, and assured them that we take this very seriously, and if there is something we can do, as they look more into all details, we are prepared to do that", Ambassador Baily told Telma TV in an interview broadcast on Thursday.

The Ambassador added that it is important that the Governments of Macedonia and Kosovo are in touch over the incident. Macedonian Interior Ministry informed that, according to their initial information, the armed group came from neighbouring Kosovo, and retreated there, after disarming the four policemen at the station and threatening them to leave the area. The Gosince area was involved in the 2001 armed insurgency by the National liberation army, an ethnic Albanian guerrilla group with origins and logistics in Kosovo, which fought a months long insurgency killing over a 100 people, that ended with a political agreement which saw the NLA become a political party and part of the Government coalitions in Macedonia.

Ambassador Baily was asked how the incident could affect the political dispute in Macedonia, where the opposition SDSM party is publishing a cache of audio files it claims was given to the party by insiders in Macedonian state security services. SDSM leader Zoran Zaev said that he will publish information that could also affect ethnic relations between Macedonians and Albanians.

"In terms of what this will lead to, I'm not going to speculate on that, but it is important to note, as I said, the calm with which the people in general have reacted to this", Baily said.

Previously, Russia and the European Union offered condemnation of the incident. Moscow blamed it on the unruly situation in Kosovo. Brussels called on political leaders in Macedonia to avoid tensions.

http://english.republika.mk/us-ambassador-says-they-are-ready-to-help-macedonia-after-gosince-incident

EU reaction:

Baku-APA. European Union spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Thursday the EU was concerned over the incident at the Gosince border police watchtower in northern Macedonia, which was briefly taken over by a group of armed men on Tuesday, holding four police officers hostage, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"We are very concerned about the violent incident at the police station in Gosince, in Lipkovo municipality. It is essential that this incident is dealt with in a responsible manner. We expect authorities and political parties also to make every effort to avoid any increase in political or inter-ethnic tensions," said Kocijancic.



A group of 40 armed, masked people forcibly took over a police station in the Macedonian border village of Gosince early Tuesday morning, calling themselves members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), and disarmed the four police officers on duty. The armed men declared they were forming an independent state. After a few hours, Macedonian forces regained control.



Lipkovo municipality was one of the main areas where, in 2001, there was an armed conflict between Macedonian security forces and insurgents from the so-called People's Liberation Army, affiliated with the KLA. The conflict ended with the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, a document guaranteeing political and civil rights to Albanians and the other minorities in Macedonia.

http://en.apa.az/xeber_eu_concerns_over_gosince_incident_in_nor_226158.html

[lavce pelagonski]

How can people take Angelov seriously anymore. He is one of the biggest sell outs. Siding with SDS abd SOROS. If you hace been living under a rock you will know that he wanted help fro UCK to tople the government. Just listen to the lajna coming out of his mouth.

[ramo]

How can people take Angelov seriously anymore. He is one of the biggest sell outs. Siding with SDS abd SOROS. If you hace been living under a rock you will know that he wanted help fro UCK to tople the government. Just listen to the lajna coming out of his mouth.

1. UCK is in the government how can they topple the government are you taking drugs?
2.This government gave freedom to UCK members for committing crimes against humanity over ethnic Macedonians.
3. Angelov is not siding with SDSM. He has been in coalition with them months, and he has not been with them for 2 years, he explicitly said that.

No matter how many lies are told for anyone against this corrupt and anti-macedonian government twice more the lies will be exposed, so don't bother. And what kind of lajna is Angelov saying can you elaborate and debate. Please give examples.

[George S.]

As long as there are people who will sell macedonia down the gurgler such things as the 2001 war will become inevitable.Not surprising those tht are in power would want the war to be prolonged as they will be in power longer.The uck nhas literally been in bed with the govt and vice versa.Nothing is surprising any more.