Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$56.5 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.49% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Albania
Disputes - international:
the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of
ethnic Albanians outside its borders in the Kosovo region of Serbia
and Montenegro, and in the northern Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, while continuing to seek regional cooperation; some
outside ethnic Albanian groups voice union with Albania
Illicit drugs:
increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian
opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to
a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for
Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production;
ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and rapidly
expanding in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with
regional trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal
aliens
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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@Algeria
Introduction Algeria
Background:
After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in
1962. The surprising first round success of the fundamentalist FIS
(Islamic Salvation Front) party in the December 1991 balloting
caused the army to intervene, crack down on the FIS, and postpone
the subsequent elections. The fundamentalist response has resulted
in a continuous low-grade civil conflict with the secular state
apparatus, which nonetheless has allowed elections featuring
pro-government and moderate religious-based parties. The FIS's armed
wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in January 2000 and many
armed militants of other groups surrendered under an amnesty program
designed to promote national reconciliation. Nevertheless, small
numbers of armed militants persist in confronting government forces
and carrying out isolated attacks on villages and other types of
terrorist attacks. Other concerns include Berber unrest, large-scale
unemployment, a shortage of housing, and the need to diversify the
petroleum-based economy.