BIOGRAPHY OF ALBANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SABIT BROKAJ

C O N F I D E N T I A L TIRANA 003065 STATE ALSO FOR EUR/SCE - LUNDBERG AND DRL - BIGUS USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/07 TAGS: PINR PGOV PARM AL SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY OF ALBANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SABIT BROKAJ (U) CLASSIFIED BY CHG ROBERT F. CEKUTA FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). BIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL -------------- ¶1. (U) PERSONAL DATA: SABIT BROKAJ WAS BORN JANUARY 7, 1942 IN VLORA. BROKAJ IS MARRIED AND HAS TWO CHILDREN. ¶2. (U) EDUCATION: BROKAJ GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TIRANA FACULTY OF MEDICINE IN 1969. HE TRAINED IN CARDIOLOGY FROM 1974-76 IN TIRANA. HE TRAVELED TO FRANCE TO STUDY CARDIOLOGY IN 1979 AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN 1982. HE ALSO HAD ADDITIONAL COURSES IN GERMANY IN 1989. HE COMPLETED ADDITIONAL STUDIES IN MEDICINE IN TIRANA, 1982, EARNED HIS DOCTORATE IN MEDICINE IN TIRANA IN 1989, AND WAS GRANTED THE TITLE OF PROFESSOR IN 1990. ¶3. (U) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: BROKAJ WORKED AS AN ASSISTANT DOCTOR/MEDIC IN A SUBMARINE, 1959- ¶1964. HE WAS BRIGADE MEDICAL CHIEF IN SHIJAKU 1969-1972 AND CARDIOLOGIST AT THE MILITARY HOSPITAL, TIRANA, 1972-1984. BROKAJ TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TIRANA FACULTY OF MEDICINE 1984-91, BECAME DEPUTY DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE 1987-89 AND DEAN 1989-91. ¶4. (U) POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: BROKAJ, A MEMBER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY (PS),HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE PS PRESIDENCY SINCE JUNE 1992. HE WAS MINISTER OF HEALTH, FEBRUARY-DECEMBER 1991, AN MP 1991-92 AND 1992-96, AND RE-ELECTED TO PARLIAMENT IN 1997. HE WAS APPOINTED DEFENSE MINISTER IN JULY 1997. ¶5. (U) LANGUAGES: BROKAJ SPEAKS SOME ENGLISH, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, AND ITALIAN. COMMENTARY -------------- ¶6. (C) BROKAJ COMES ACROSS AS A KINDLY GENTLEMAN, ALTHOUGH HE IS REPUTED TO BE FORMER PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA'S MOST DETERMINED ENEMY. BROKAJ IS ALSO FAMOUS AS BEING ANOTHER OF HOXHA'S PERSONAL PHYSICIANS. HE WORKED WITH BERISHA IN THE CARDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF THE TIRANA HOSPITAL WHERE A VICIOUS RIVALRY DEVELOPED BETWEEN THE TWO. WE ARE TOLD THEY ARE NOT ON SPEAKING TERMS. ¶7. (C) AS DEFENSE MINISTER, BROKAJ HAS LEFT SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED. THE DEFENSE MINISTRY NEEDS A STRONG MANAGEMENT HAND AT THE HELM, TO HELP QUICKLY REBUILD AND REINVIGORATE THE COUNTRY'S ARMED FORCES WHICH COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. ALTHOUGH BROKAJ'S LEADERSHIP MAY BE SUSPECT, HE SAYS THE RIGHT THINGS TO HIS FOREIGN VISITORS AND HAS SOUGHT FOREIGN ADVISORS FOR HIS OFFICE. QUESTIONS ALSO REMAIN AS TO WHETHER HE TELLS VISITORS WHAT HE THINKS THEY WANT TO HEAR OR WHAT HE REALLY BELIEVES. ¶8. (C) BROKAJ IS CONSIDERED A MEMBER OF THE "OLD GUARD" WITHIN THE SOCIALIST PARTY. FOR THE RECENT ARMED FORCES DAY, OBSERVERS NOTED THE ELABORATE DISPLAYS OF SOLDIERS AND WEAPONS REMINISCENT OF THE COMMUNIST-ERA CELEBRATIONS WHICH HAD NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE THE BEFORE THE FALL OF COMMUNISM HERE. CEKUTA