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