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The Brits are wise to upgrade security in Tirana -- it is only a matter of time before the Islamic entente goes to work in the Olde Country. The Albanian capital much like Berlin in the 1950s -- all sides operate with impunity and a certain level of professional courtesy exists for those that play by the rules. However Tirana is full of soft targets -- which leads to this usual type of exchange among ex-pats on The Block.

Q: This place is swarming with the enemy now -- when will they hit us?

A: Only when they want to ring up a spectacular body count from a postmodern "Night of the Long Knives".

Dry is good and wind is better...

The road where the British Embassy is located is a narrow street sealed off only by a pair of guards at both the North and South end. They are seldom attentive and do not check IDs of those wandering past the checkpoint. At nights when a big football match is on the telly they often knock back a few rakis and let their minds roam before the evening nap...

Unlike the American Embassy on the rruga Durres the Brit Embassy is not under constant surveillance by the Islamic entente and the layout of the street prevents a suicide bomber from getting a long running start to detonate an F=MA-boosted car bomb. However internal security is weak and as late as 1999 infiltration through the grounds was possible from the (then) Kosovo Embassy.

Within the mosques of Tirana extremely accurate range cards targeting the American and British embassies have been circulated during the past few months. This is probably more of a propaganda ploy than a realistic attempt to initiate a mortar/breaching operation against these facilities. However Islamic entente communications in the last few months have indicated a likely indirect fire attack against Western embassies in the Balkans.

These are impossible to interdict without superior intelligence work. No counter-battery fire available in the Capital...

A trio of Western hangouts in Tirana have also been under Islamic entente surveillance during the past few weeks: France 98, the Stephens Centre, and the Amsterdam Restaurant. Each of these spots have heavy Western ex-pat traffic on the weekends and are open to both direct fire and suicide bombing attacks. When the alert level is raised, additional friendly eyes need to scope out these locations before the usual weekend gatherings.

Millions will die in the Third World War...

Albania is friendly to America and Britain and has a very capable internal security apparat. However bitter political maneuvering in advance of the Socialist Party Congress and probable early elections next year have initiated a disconnect at certain levels within the security framework. There are holes open now that did not exist in the summer.

Mr Nano's block is ringed with the best anti-sniper and counter-terrorism teams in Albania -- of course he has reason to worry. However for the rest of the capital the landscape shows one huge soft target wedged around the hardened US Embassy.

The Islamic entente unlikely to make a move in Albania until they are ready to force a decision. They know where every Westerner lives and while they won't try and penetrate the Ridge, they can hit anywhere else anytime they want to...

The forces of freedom on the move. Europe trembles.