Citation

Bardos G. World Affairs 2013; 175(5): 59-66.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, World Affairs Institute, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

One scenario in particular that has caused concern involves a counterstrike by Iran or its allies such as Hezbollah against targets outside the Middle East. In this regard, when a suspected Hezbollah suicide bomber killed six Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria, in July, it confirmed that the Balkans were a potential front for terrorism in any future conflict. The threat Iran and its proxies pose to Western interests in the Balkans is multiplied by the growth of Wahhabi movements in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and the mountainous Sandzak region straddling the border between Montenegro and Serbia. The camps are intentionally transitory, re-established in different places and under different auspices each year, to make it more difficult for security officials to track them, but despite their ad hoc nature they have been effective in fostering the relationships needed for creating extremist networks.

Language: en

Keywords

Iran; Bulgaria; terrorism; political conflict; Montenegro; Serbia; social movement; Macedonia [Southern Europe]; Balkans; border region; Burgas [Bulgaria]; Kosovo