4. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT SECURITY SITUATION AND TERRORISM THREAT IN AND FROM BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA4 4.1. Terrorism threat assessment in BiH By mid 2009, the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was significantly impacted by some local, regional and global developments in certain aspects of terrorism and extremism, and other violent acts and intolerance. The current situation is similar. The general situation in the above indicated security segments is characterized by relatively steady tendencies with occasional periods of higher intensity or stagnation of certain aspects of the mentioned problems. Generally, it can be concluded that there were no events which resulted in long-term or major deterioration of the security situation in BiH as a whole or in some parts of BiH. Not a single act which could be qualified as international terrorism was perpetrated in BiH by mid 2009.5 There is no evidence to substantiate that BiH is currently used for preparation of execution of such acts, but they are yet not entirely dismissed and this should be always considered as a possibility. Security-related data on certain persons of foreign descent in BiH do not indicate, for time being, any concrete connection between those individuals and international terrorism. However, some indications suggest that they maintain contacts with individuals abroad from the same milieu, and potential use of BiH as a transit country. A certain number of foreigners who had BiH citizenship and are still living in BiH, were stripped of BiH citizenship because, based on previous assessments, it was established that they posed threat to national security; the deportation procedure is ongoing. It is worth mentioning that earlier, when such individuals were stripped of citizenship or while their status was deliberated, this caused various reactions, mainly verbal, but also those that indicated some security challenges. However, in 2009 there were no reactions that may have resulted in any significant security consequences. Except for some instances of individual and group verbal dissatisfaction with the activities of the state agencies related to deportation, and some minor incidents regarding the deportation procedure itself, there has been no information to suggest possible situations that would be of security interest in this context. Up to now, in 2009, there are no data on newly established humanitarian organizations in BiH which abuse their purpose in terms of being transformed and continuing illegal activities under a different form or name. In that context, allegations by some media were continuously checked during the past period, as well as allegations of some ‘experts’, but no confirmation or evidence was found to substantiate their allegations on activities that would be of security interest. Regarding potential internal terrorist acts or terrorist acts against certain national, religious or other groups, not a single terrorist act or another act which would have a direct impact 4 The assessment made by members of the working group of police agencies and OSA. This term is introduced based on Article 5, the Law on OSA, Official Gazette 12/04 From 2005 to today, only one substantiated terrorist act has been committed in BiH, which was qualified as an act international terrorism. In October 2005, OSA and FBiH Ministry of the Interior stopped illegal activities of a terrorist group whose aim was to carry out terrorist attacks in BiH and abroad. The perpetrators were arrested and processed before the BiH Court in Sarajevo. 5 17