EXHUMATION OF WW II SOLDIERS SPOTLIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 000662

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE (MBENEDICT)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR AL GR
SUBJECT: EXHUMATION OF WW II SOLDIERS SPOTLIGHTS
ALBANIAN-GREEK TENSIONS

REF: TIRANA 476

Classified By: Ambassador Marcie B. Ries
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Recent exhumations of Greek soldiers killed
in Albania during WW II and the construction of mausoleums
here for their re-interrment have sparked considerable
controversy and reportedly the cancellation of the Greek
Defense Minister's visit to Albania. The exhumations
generated controversy when allegations surfaced that some of
the remains were of Albanian villagers. The situation was
inflamed further when a local Orthodox priest initially
refused police access into the church where the remains were
being temporarily stored. Preliminary forensic reports
showed that the some of the remains were of women and
children. The government of Albania has generally been
cautious in its official statements, casting the issue as a
dispute between private entities. However, when the forensic
results are released to the public in one week, the flames
may be fanned again. END SUMMARY.

CANCELLATION OF VISIT SPARKS CONTROVERSY
--------------


2. (SBU) Rasim Hasanaj, Head of the Albanian Cults Committee,
told us on May 10 that Greece's Defense Minister had canceled
a long-planned visit to Albania, citing the failure of the
GoA and Greece to reach a bilateral agreement regarding the
exhumation and reburial of Greek soldiers. An estimated 8,000
Greek soldier were killed in Albania fighting Italians and
Germans during WW II. Local media then began reporting on
ongoing construction of mausoleums in Albania for the Greek
soldiers and exhumations of purported graves of those
soldiers.


3. (C) Hasanaj said that plans for the construction of
mausoleums to house the remains of Greek soldiers have been
on-again, off-again since the early 1990s. According to
Albanian Defense Minister Mediu, Greece is seeking
construction of three mausoleums, one each in the regions of
Korca, Gjirokaster, and Permet -- all of which share a border
with Greece. The position of the GoA is that there should be
two, in part to tamp down right-wing criticism that by
accepting mausoleums in all three cities the government is
encouraging the perpetuation of Greek claims to "Northern
Epirus."

GREEK GOVERNMENT FUNDED MAUSOLEUM CONSTRUCTION
-------------- -


4. (C) Father Andon Merdani, director of external relations
for the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, said that,
despite the lack of a formal agreement, construction of one
mausoleum, capable of taking in 630 new gravesites, was
completed last year on the grounds of an Orthodox monastery
in Permet. A second similar mausoleum is currently under
construction in Korca. Merdani confirmed that the
construction of the mausoleums was funded by the Greek
government and was carried out under the direction of the
Albanian Orthodox church.


5. (C) Media reports have alleged that the Orthodox church
did not obtain the necessary permits for either the
construction of the mausoleums or for the exhumation and
reburial of human remains. Merdani said that the Orthodox
church had obtained an initial permit for the construction of
a church on the site, but was notably silent on the issue of
a construction permit for the actual mausoleum and
authorization for the exhumations. (Note: Under Albanian
law, a grave site may be disturbed only with authorization
from the Prosecutor's office and with a court order. End
note).

REMAINS INCLUDE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
--------------


6. (SBU) Dr. Sokrat Meksi, head of Forensic Medicine at

Mother Theresa Hospital in Tirana, told us that villagers had
lodged a formal complaint with police in Permet alleging that
the graves of their relatives, including women and children,
had been violated. The Permet regional prosecutor's office
has opened a formal criminal investigation and police
investigators attempted to enter an Orthodox church in the
village of Kutale where the recently exhumed remains were
being stored, awaiting reburial. Media reported that the
local priest denied access to the police and enlisted the
help of the Greek Consul in Gjirokaster, who called on
authorities not to search the church.


7. (SBU) Merdani said that on June 7 Archbishop Yannulatos
Anastasios (head of the Orthodox church in Albania, but a
Greek national) visited Greek PM Karamanlis in Athens and
that the graves were discussed. The following day, the church
rescinded its opposition and gave access to the church. A
team of investigators began a forensic analysis of the 69
sets of remains. The Albanian press widely reported a Greek
government statement that the exhumations were a private
initiative being carried out by the relatives of the soldiers
and that the Greek government, and its consular service in
Albania, had no official involvement. This helped to calm
emotional outbursts in the press that have surrounded the
issue. Father Merdani told us that the exhumations were
funded by an association established by the relatives of the
fallen soldiers. The GoG's statement did not, however, refer
to GoG involvement in mausoleum funding.


8. (C) Meksi told us that the exhumations had been done in a
slipshod manner and that many of the skeletons were not
complete or contained more bones than anatomically correct.
Moreover, of the 69 cadavers examined, three have been
confirmed to be of children, four of women, and two of
persons over the age of 60. Meksi acknowledged that most
were of men between the ages of 18 and 30 and showed evidence
of having been killed in battle. More detailed analysis is
needed in a handful of cases. Official results will be
released in two weeks.

OVERZEALOUS GRAVE-DIGGERS?
--------------


9. (C) Meksi said he learned that villagers had been hired
to perform the exhumations and were paid between 50 and 100
Euros for each skeleton exhumed. Father Merdani said that
although most of the exhumations were performed under the
observation of a priest, one of the gravediggers was fired
for working after hours and stealing gold fillings and other
valuables from the graves.


ALBANIANS CLAIM AN AFFRONT TO THEIR SOVEREIGNTY
-------------- --


10. (SBU) Citing the failure of the Orthodox church (and its
Greek national Archbishop) to obtain the necessary building
permits for mausoleums, as well as the lack of official
authorization to exhume human remains, some local political
commentators and politicians have decried what they consider
an intrusion into Albanian sovereignty. They claim that
Greece has never formally recognized its border with Albania
and still refers to southern Albania as "Northern Epirus."
(Note: Albania and Greece have never formally ended the state
of war that began when Italian troops invaded Greece from
Albania in 1940. End note.) Commentators have also argued
that the building of mausoleums (and schools -- see reftel)
was an attempt to "Hellenize" the region. Some politicians
have even called for the resignation of Archbishop
Anastasios, claiming that he used the church as a proxy for
carrying out Greek ambitions in Albania.


11. (SBU) PM Berisha told reporters on June 1 that "The
exhumation is unauthorized and represents a criminal act.
There is an ongoing investigation by judicial authorities and
police...to determine whether the remains come from Albanian
village inhabitants or Greek soldiers." He did not, however,
mention the Greek Government, and has remained silent on the

matter since.


COMMENT: OFFICIAL RESTRAINT, PRIVATE RESENTMENT
-------------- -


12. (C) The GoA seems to recognize that this is a
hot-button issue that could not only incite ethnic tensions
domestically, but potentially even complicate foreign policy
objectives, including Kosovo independence and EU accession --
two issues in which the support of Greece for Albanian
positions is considered vital. In a discussion with DCM, the
Greek DCM downplayed the dispute, stating that it did not
involve the GoG but rather a few individuals. Indeed, the
GoA, and apparently the GoG as well, seem comfortable to cast
the whole dispute as one between private parties rather than
an issue of governmental concern -- probably a good thing
since it indicates that neither government is looking to stir
up nationalism for the sake of short-term political gain.
Nevertheless, the potentially extra-legal manner of the
exhumations and mausoleum construction, will likely
exacerbate the long-standing mistrust many Albanians have for
their Greek neighbors.
RIES