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Albania's example for the United States - and the world

2022-09-16 19:50:18Pikëpamje SHKRUAR NGA JAMES L. JONES
Albania's example for the United States - and the world
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Albania may be among the smallest and youngest members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

However, her government's recent decision to sever diplomatic relations with the Iranian government as a result of a massive cyber attack on Tirana this summer stands in the open, in every sense of the word.

Albania has also accused Iran of a second cyber attack targeting its national police, which was discovered on September 9.

Neither the lessons from Iran's actions nor Albania's courageous response should be lost and ignored by the United States and the international community. Both should carry a guiding weight in terms of continued efforts to revive the international agreement that obligates Iran to halt its nuclear weapons program as well as teach us to responsibly address the Iranian regime's ongoing threats to regional stability. and global.

Among other malicious targets, Iran's brutal attack on the Albanian government's electronic platforms in July sought to destroy critical infrastructure on which the Albanian people depend for vital public services.

But why was such an attack against innocent Albanians necessary?

Because 6 years ago, Tirana showed humanitarian compassion and moral courage in guaranteeing shelter for some Iranian refugees, long since expelled and targeted by Tehran, because of their efforts for a democratic Iran.

The regime considered intolerable, even violent, this group's vision of a free Iran—an Iran committed to respecting human rights, living peacefully and progressively among the family of nations.

More than 100 of the dissidents, many of them women and children, were killed in the camp where they had long been sheltering in Iraq in a series of attacks by Tehran-led forces. The nearly 2,500 survivors were desperately seeking a safe haven when Albania opened its arms to receive them in peace. And although Iran launched successive conspiracies against the dissidents as they reached Albanian soil, their efforts were defeated by the Albanian defense services. Refusing to surrender, Tehran changed tactics by launching cyber attacks against the Albanian state itself on July 15.

When the country was first hit, the sponsors of the cyber attack were unknown. After that, US and UK cyber security experts worked with the Albanian government to investigate the source and help a NATO ally recover from the attacks. The United States imposed sanctions on Iran for the attack against Albania. This joining of forces highlights the ever-increasing importance of cooperation among allies so that we can prevent, respond and recover from these cyber-attacks on the critical infrastructures of democratic states.

After Iran's responsibility was fully confirmed, Prime Minister Edi Rama rejected Iran's repeated attempts to deny and avoid responsibility. Realizing that evil must be faced, Rama took decisive action by severing relations with the mullahs' government and expelling Iranian diplomats from Albania. This bold move could not have been an easy decision for a peace-loving nation. But he was historically important. His response sent an important, timely message, showing the Iranian regime that its brutalities will not be tolerated. Moreover, it was an example for other countries in the region – and around the world – that are threatened by Iranian hackers. Above all,

Before and since their cyber attacks on Tirana, the mullahs' regime has continued to show its true colors in defiance of international norms and the global order. He sends drones to help Russia in its illegal war against Ukraine. He continues to sponsor international terrorist organizations that kill and maim innocents. It attacks ships operating in international waters. And, most dangerous of all, he continues to pursue nuclear capabilities in order to threaten and extort the Middle East and the world while pretending to try to reach a nuclear deal.

As one of the world's most persistent threats to global peace and stability, the Iranian regime has turned its avoidance of international engagement into an art, strategically creating frictions that allow it to exert more control over its citizens. . He regards UN Security Council resolutions and international law as obstacles to be ignored. According to Tehran's assessment, human rights, international norms and modernity are threats that must be extinguished. The Iranian leadership remains the main antagonist of democracy and liberalization throughout the Middle East, where a better future for millions of people is reluctant to raise its head. This includes rejecting Israel's right to exist, even actively opposing and undermining the Middle East peace process. The reality is that Iran's leaders will continue to act with a single objective – to maintain power and control the people of Iran and to extend their dominance throughout the region, regardless of the human cost.

This pattern of behavior, including attacks on Albania, speaks volumes for Tehran's sincerity in being a responsible member of the global community, including halting its nuclear program. The regime's flat-out denials of the July cyber attack clearly reflect on its credibility when it comes to reaching an effective agreement on nuclear control. For its part, Albania has shown larger and older democracies, including our own, the kind of moral clarity, courage and determination required to stand up to Iran's outlaw behavior in its many forms.

The international community's approach must be inspired by the stark reality that if Iran's behavior is tolerated without response, it will not only continue, but become bolder and more dangerous for us all. Such lessons the free world ignores knowing full well the consequences.

/ The Hill

*General James L. Jones, a former commander of the Marine Corps, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe and former national security adviser to the president, is executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council. He is the president and founder of Jones Group International, which provides cybersecurity consulting services to protect critical infrastructure globally, including in the Balkans.


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