Dielli's Interview with Sarah-Jane Corke
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DIELLI November, 2018 23 DIELLI’S INTERVIEW WITH SARAH-JANE CORKE To continue to appreciate the influence of such an important personality such as Mithat Frasheri, Dielli interviewed the author of the book US Covert Operations and Cold War Strategy. Sarah-Jane Corke is an Associate Professor of History at University of New Brunswick. ecent publications with reference no clear objectives on what US policy to Mithat Frasheri were featured was, it remained unclear whether it was at the commemorative evening more important to encourage people to hostedR by the Queens branch of Vatra leave Eastern Europe or to stay behind to honor the distinguished Albanian to serve as resistance forces should figure. a possible World War III broke out. One of them delves into the historical Propaganda beamed into East European factors and the complex relations countries encouraged East Europeans between the British and the Americans to both leave their countries and to stay regarding their efforts to liberate and serve as a resistance force. Second, Albania from the communists and the once people did leave, the “West” was Soviet control after the end of WWII. not prepared to provide safe places for all the refugees. Some were housed DIELLI: In the introduction of your in former concentration camps and book, you write that it 'attempts to eventually returned to the East with address the gap in the historiography only horror stories to tell their friends to offer a more nuanced appreciation and relatives. of American strategic thinking during Truman's administration". What is the DIELLI: Where is the Study of importance of addressing such a gap in Intelligence Series going next? our knowledge and understanding of There have been a lot of newly released history? documents on American involvement The traditional scholarship had for a in Iran in 1953 and Cuba in 1960. There very, very long time, suggested that will be new histories on both of these US foreign policy during the Cold War topics in the next few years. However, was a coherent strategy of containment. there has been a decline in the number of scholarly intelligence history over The term containment implied that new books Operation Valuable FIEND attention to your book for providing US foreign policy was defensive and by Albert Lulushi and The Albanian the last decade, for a number of reasons. new information on the subject and Unfortunately, American intelligence reactive. It was, in other words, it was Operation of the CIA and MI6, 1949- especially his important role during responding to Soviet aggressions. By 1953 by Nicholas Bethell (edited by history relies on the willingness of the this period of Albania's history. Would CIA to declassify its archives. It also challenging this notion and focusing Robert Elsie and Bejulla Destani) that you please share more with our readers? on aggressive American actions, the depends on the national archives being add considerable detail to the events What happened in Albania was a American role in the Cold War is well funded so that they can do the that unfolded. tragedy. It became very important to problematized. We begin to understand declassifications in a timely fashion. DIELLI: Your presentation of the me, in the course of writing the book, to that American foreign policy was Documents also come out in fits and documents in the chapter ‘A clinical point out the way in which the Albanian more complicated that we previously starts and those that are declassified do experiment' expands the understanding people, who desired nothing more than understood. not always appear in any order. Writing of the 'Anglo-American frictions' with the return of their homeland, were intelligence history can be intensely DIELLI: Events such as the 100th regard to covert operations that were treated by the British and Americans rewarding but it can also be challenging anniversary of the end of WWI are undertaken in Albania, specifically in who were in charge of the operation. for these reasons. moments when remembrance of Operation Valuable in 1949. According Frank Wisner called it “a clinical sacrifice and patriotism take center to numerous documents, the British Those that are interested in intelligence experiment.” It was an experiment history should contact the North stage on a wide scale. Your book takes and Americans did not agree on which that cost approximately 1000 lives. a hard look at another war, namely the émigré organization to support nor on American Society for Intelligence This was the tragedy. Frasheri was one History (NASIH). Cold War era in the US revealing a the method of insertion of paramilitary of the Albanians who I believe was political landscape with uncertain goals teams. How great was the impact of the not well served by the British and the Finally, on the anniversary of Albania’s and redefined front lines of intricate, discordance on the task at hand namely Americans. In short, neither the US nor Independence I want to send my sincere treacherous and deadly nature. In broad to help the resistance groups inside the Brits accorded the Albanians the best wishes to the people of Albania, terms, what defines the legacy of the Albania to overthrow the communists? respect they deserved. both those at home and abroad. Over Cold War during the second term of the course of writing the book I met a It was very significant. The British DIELLI: You mention tensions and Truman's presidency? number of wonderful Albanians who I would withdraw their support for the serious political divisions within I would say that the key issue the operation and came to view those who still think of warmly today. I hope to the Free Albania Committee which be able to visit Albania at some point Truman Administration faced, and continued the operation in the United reflected the deep-rooted fractions an issue that still resonates today, is States as overly aggressive in their anti- in the future. I have been told it is an within the Albanian society. In the same absolutely beautiful country. the difficulty in ensuring that foreign communism. It caused a rift between chapter, you write; '...this is important policy and intelligence operations are in the intelligence agencies and the two because it compounded the controversy sync. The breakdown that occurred at countries. over the structure of Albania's post- the strategic level greatly hampered the DIELLI: As it happens the fate of liberation government. What are some ability of the Truman administration to leading Albanian figures such as of the important lessons that have develop and execute successful covert Mithat Frasheri become intertwined emerged with respect to a dysfunctional operations. When a country’s foreign with the policy and strategic planning administration during the Cold War? policy remains vague, which happens of a conflicted US administration. The key lesson for me was to ensure for a number of reasons, it is difficult Under George Kennan's plan, which that policy, strategy and operations for operations personnel to effectively represented the position of the State were in sync. Within this context, I do their jobs. Department, East European ex think administrators have to avoid DIELLI: The declassified documents patriots would be brought together the tendency to write broad policy that were made available over a decade under so-called 'Freedom Committees' statements. Often this happens so ago illustrate, among other things, financed by the US. One of the first to that any controversies that exist over a discordance between policy and be set up was the Albanian National a policy can be papered over. If there strategy in the postwar years specifically Committee which was to provide a are controversies I think they need with regard to Covert Operations by nucleus for the Albanian government to be resolved before the policy is the American Intelligence. What new in exile. Mithat Frasheri became the signed by the President. Without clear documents have come to light, if any, first president of the organization. As policy guidance you can have multiple since the publication of your book? you point out, Mithat Frasheri never strategies put into play. Sometimes, as I There have not been a lot of new lived to see Operation Valuable unfold. pointed out in the book, these strategies declassifications, at least that I am He passed away on October 3, 1949. can contradict each other. The best aware of. But there are two important Commemorating him 69 years later, the example which I wrote about in the Pan-Albanian Federation Vatra brought book was that given that there was .