SHISH
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The State Intelligence Service, commonly known by its acronym SHISH, is the primary intelligence agency of Albania
The National Intelligence Service (SHIK) was created by the Albanian parliament in 1992. Most of SHIK's officers came from the same northeastern region of the country as President Sali Berisha. The agency has been used to manage internal dissent and protect the interests of the individual members of the regime.
On April 1, 1997 the prime minister, Bashkim Fino, announced that SHIK activity would be suspended effective from March 31. SHIK Director Bashkim Gazidede and his deputy, Bujar Rama, resigned. On May 30, the President named Arben Karkini as the new head of SHIK. He was succeeded by Fatos Klosi after the Socialists won the July 1997 parliamentary elections. In October 1997, the United States Central Intelligence Agency sent a team of experts to assist the government in restructuring the SHIK.
On the evening of September 22, 1997, the former chairman of SHIK, Shkëlqim Agolli, was found stabbed to death in his home in Athens. It was alleged in Jane's Intelligence Review that this was a killing by professional assassins. According to Albanian newspaper Gazeta Albania, a group called Komiteti Shpëtimit (Commission of Salvation), formed after the 1997 riots in Vlorë, was responsible for his death.
In November 1999, SHIK was renamed SHISH.
Albania has only recently emerged from decades of totalitarian rule and while tentative steps have been taken towards establishing a democracy the country's political situation remains chaotic and unstable. Corruption within government and the country's security and intelligence agencies is endemic. Albania suffered major political crises in 1997 and 2003, bringing the country to a state of near anarchy. New elections held in the summer of 2005 decisively returned a majority government under Sali Berisha and his Democratic Party.
SHISH is operating within this context and while it has been identified as being "generally under effective civilian control" (U.S. Department of State, 2004) the agency has still been associated with various abuses within the country and continues to play a significant role in domestic politics. While the Albanian government has received support from the U.S. and European countries in working to establish or reform national institutions including it's intelligence and security services, SHISH, police and other security forces have been cited as untrained, ill-paid and often unprofessional.
[edit] References
- Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (2004) Albania, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, February 28, 2005 U.S. Department of State
