As a task and proposal we suggest that the 'helm' operation be applied against the high leaders of the communist regime in Albania"/ CIA secret documents are revealed

Part eight The CIA has published documents that talk about the organization of local power in Tirana and those who were at its head, starting from the Executive Committee of the Regional People's Council, the Prefecture, etc., as well as the relevant sections that were under their jurisdiction. Thus, the names published by the CIA about the leaders of the State Security, have come to light and the leaders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The CIA has published several other documents on security services, in which it is shown how the Sovietists started the reform of the Albanian Army which was under the direction of the Minister of National Defense, Major General Beqir Balluku. The organizational body and the Ministry of Interior The Executive Committee of Tirana is in fact the former organization of the city and is located in the former building of the city. It has a chairman, a secretary and 11 members who are each responsible for specific administrative matters such as trade, finance, planning, construction, education, and civil welfare. Local elections are held every two years; the last ones were held in 1952. The members of the committees appoint the leaders of the neighborhoods of Tirana, which are also divided into different sectors of functions. The members of the councils are elected after the completion of local elections. In May 1951 the archive was transferred from the executive committee to the center, to a building on Shqipëria e Re boulevard, from the large number of applicants. The main function of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is in fact the direction of the State Security. It has three main departments according to the three administrative divisions of Tirana. The following persons have held important administrative roles in the Executive Committee of Tirana until 1952: Bim Sina, chairman of the Executive Committee, born in Tirana, married to one of his officials, named Merushe Shapllo. Both were partisans during the war and were communist sympathizers. In the latest reports, Sina was in the archives. Selaudin Bekteshi, secretary of the executive committee, born in Tirana, 28 years old, unmarried. He was also a partisan and a communist sympathizer. Murat Mema, member responsible for the Trade section. Born in Tirana, 32 years old, former partisan and communist sympathizer. Qazim Mema (without relation to Murat Mema), responsible for Finance, born in Tirana, former partisan. October 1954 People's Army At the end of 1953, a reorganization of the People's Army of Albania was carried out, according to the instructions of the Soviet officials. Some infantry brigades in Korçë, Tirana, Gjirokastër and others were dissolved and in their place 3 military units with infantry brigades and regiments were created. One unit with motor vehicles was placed in the village of Zemblak, dependent on the Korçë regiment. One infantry unit was also stationed in Bilisht. The units are armed with Soviet rifles, some of which with snipers. These battalions do not have transport vehicles, but only animals like cows and horses, with which they pull the artillery. These units conduct training every day. About 20 officers went to the Korçë battalions to participate in the training held in the Voskopojë mountains, which lasted three weeks. By the middle of 1954, the commander of the battalion of this zone is Captain Zarifi from Poloska, who was replaced by Colonel Lulzim Skëndo from Kurveleshi. Some sources have confirmed that the presence of so many officers in a battalion is due to the fact that the brigades have similar administrative structure to the regiments and in the case of mobilization they can become regiments. In the barracks of the infantry of Bilisht, the artillery unit is also located. This is armed with Soviet 75 mm guns. Their transport is by horses. It is not known exactly how many horses the artillery unit belongs to, as they are together with the horses of the infantry, but together they reach about 120 heads. Training and recruitment A number of officers released from the army are repeatedly sent with letters for military training. The residents of the Devollit area have reported battalion training of the infantry stationed in Bilisht. At the beginning of October 1954, in the new recruitment office of Bilisht, the residents of the area who had to serve the military were presented. The people were examined by the committee and those who were chosen for military service in border guard began training immediately. While others were released and it is said they will start service a few months later. In 1954, the duration of military service in Albania was extended by two, up to three years, while for the air and naval forces, from three to four years. The information comes from people who serve in the army. The Barracks of Bilisht The barracks are located in the southeastern part of the city near the Korçë-Kristalopigji highway. They are two rectangular buildings, where the infantry battalion and the artillerymen are located. The rectangular building also has carpenters, leatherworkers and shoemakers. Water for the barracks comes from the Bilisht depot, as well as electricity, from the main grid. The barracks are surrounded by barbed wire, and a dividing wall is also being built with the highway. During the day the barracks are protected by a guard stationed at the entrance to the camp and there are also two permanent posts with machine guns. The Argjia e Parashqevisë church near the Bilisht villages serves as the ammunition depot for the battalion and is surrounded by barbed wire. Labor At the end of August, the police commander of Bilisht, Captain Beqir Alia, gathered the residents and made a speech in which he tried to convince the young people to join the voluntary labor army, arguing that the labor was necessary to build the Cërrik oil refinery. But because only one person agreed to apply, the authorities were forced to hire workers with payment. In the village of Bilisht there are also about 15 armed residents, who must help the police whenever necessary, to raise alerts or in pursuit operations. One of them is Ahmet Çakerri, who is the most trustworthy to the authorities, as he is a communist. Whenever help is needed, the police turns to him. Border Fortifications Until April 1954, the residents of Kapshtica could not cross from the Kapshtica-Kristalopigji highway to reach the pastures on the southern side. But later the road was opened and the villagers could graze animals up to the border. Previously, a border zone was mined, which was cleared by the authorities. About 75 percent of the residents of Bilisht are Muslim and 25 percent are Orthodox Christians. But the village does not have a mosque and the church has been turned into cinemas, so the residents do not practice religious rites. Also, the Orthodox population does not go to church, as those who do do so are persecuted by young communist villagers. In Bilisht there is only one Orthodox priest, who gives the mass on Sundays in the Church of Saint Anastasius. His name is Kristo Llafazani. Bilisht has a hospital with about 60 beds. The hospital has a doctor who is graduated in Tirana and 5 nurses (3 women and 2 men). Medical visits are free for everyone. Those hospitalized must pay 40 lek per day for treatment, plus medicines, which they must buy from people who receive supplies from outside the country, due to the shortage of medicines in Albania. Under all the harsh conditions of life, many residents are affected by tuberculosis, especially the young people. May 27, 1952 Memorandum Comments of Jacob T. Beam regarding Albania and related issues In relation to the documents of the Cold War strategy and general operational objectives, I am passing some statements and observations made by Mr. Beam, who is the second official of our embassy in Belgrade. He has just returned from Belgrade, after a one-year mandate. Beam is a sharp political observer and his views should be of interest to us. In relation to Albania, Mr. Beam thinks that the Yugoslavs are one year behind in their politics. Their policy is to continue to let the generations slowly die in Albania, but they do not want to do anything that would delay the current regime, for fear of any representation from the Soviets. They continue to think that if Yugoslavia is attacked by the West, they will immediately occupy all of Albania, and as far as is known, they do not want to allow participation from Greece or other countries in this occupation. The Yugoslavs believe they have some agents entering and leaving Albania, who are well informed about the current situation in the country. The Situation in Albania Since 1948 when the regime of Tito broke with the Soviet Union, Albania is isolated from contact with the Soviet satellite states. This, apart from the harsh terrain of the country itself and the old clandestine traditions of the Albanians, especially in the northern tripartite zones, seems to make Albania a promising objective for clandestine operations, with the aim of overthrowing the current communist regime. The presence of a large number of Albanian refugees in Europe suggests the development of a political center outside Albania, composed of representatives of anti-totalitarian elements and friendly to the policies of the USA for the Balkans, which can serve as a focal point for anti-communist elements within Albania. The intelligence services of America and Britain in the summer of 1949 were responsible for the formation of the National Committee of "Free Albania" (NCFA), which is a political center representing the representatives of democratic Albanian refugees, and which can serve as a cover for secret operations in Albania. And from then on the operations of the political and military branches were carried out in the name of the NCFA. The Proposal The NCFA is a group of representatives of Albanian refugees who act as a focal point for those who are ultimately interested in the liberation of Albania. The group acts as an official cover for the clandestine activities of the CIA and serves as a tool for the public denunciation of the issue of the enslaved Albanians in Albania. It is controlled by the CIA and the British MI6 services. The leaders of the NCFA have been made clear that in no case are they considered the "Government in exile" of Albania. Duties and proposals Publishing the newspaper "Albania" in Albanian, and the use of its main content for the propaganda leaflets issued from the air in Albania. Publishing in the appropriate time of periodic announcements about Albania, published in English, French and Italian, distributed to the main agencies of the Western press. (Preparation of the content of the "Albania" publication was done according to the OBTUSE project, which is supported and assisted by OBLIVIOUS).