NATO Crisis Update 6- "A scandal during turmoil"

With the tensions between Serbia and Kosovo reaching extremely high levels, especially after the revelations regarding the secret weapon shipments in Serbia, another scandal comes to once more rattle the political scenery in the region. In a public statement the Serbian PM made claims that the CIA had wiretapped several members of the cabinet, as well as key officials of the Serbian government. He presented evidence of a series of telephone and email taps and accused the US of interfering in Serbia’s internal affairs. In his speech he demanded that the CIA come forward and reveal the reasons for the wiretaps. The following days, and while political turmoil had reached all time highs in Serbia, the US State Department issued the following public statement: “In light of the recent events in Serbia and Saudi Arabia, the US government is obliged to cast light regarding the findings of our intelligence services. We have all been witnesses of a well-orchestrated Russian attempt to destabilise the Western Balkans, so that NATO’s attention on Ukraine would be distracted. The Russian government, in close cooperation with their allies, Belarus and Qatar, arrange secret weapons shipments to supply Serbian paramilitary groups. At the same time, Russia bribed Serbian paramilitary leaders, associated with the newly founded SPKLF, as well as key Serbian officials. More specifically, several Serbian agents of the secret police, alongside with the leader of the Serbian intelligence services herself, have been confirmed to be on Russia’s payroll. Additionally, the Serbian MoD and several MPs from both the governing and the opposition parties in the Serbian Parliament have been reported to receive payments from the Russian Government. The whole plan was to create artificial turbulence in the Serbia-Kosovo borders, to lure NATO into a possible involvement in the region. In this way, the manpower and resources of the Alliance would be split, and the public opinion’s attention would be distracted from the invasion of Ukraine. “

The US MFA was persistently asked by the press about the sources of the information revealed. His response was that the sources and witnesses remain classified. The Serbian PM met with the American Ambassador in a closed door meeting, after which he decided that the Serbian MFA and the Head of the Intelligence Services would be relieved of their duties.

Several questions, though, still remain within the Alliance. Unrest within the French, German and UK governments was evident, regarding the way in which the US Intelligence Services operate. Were the Serbian officials the only ones in CIA’s scope? Or wiretapping officials of foreign countries is a common practice of the American Intelligence services? Apart from that, the US’s behaviour fueled intense discussions among the circles of the Alliance regarding the way that the American government handled the case, with several officials and politicians of the Allied Countries accusing the US of acting without noticing the Allies. The French deputy MFA in a TV interview claimed that “Recently, we have all witnessed instances in which the American government acting like the Alliance was their own protect"