Global InformationOperation Valuable information
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| Operation Valuable | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Cold War | |||||||
 Top left: American Forces in Munich Germany, Recruiting Paramilitary Soldiers Top right: U.S. Colonel F. H. Dunn inspecting the anti-communist "Kompania 4000" during training at Hohenbrunn in Bavaria in November 1950. Bottom left: The Sigurimi with a captured CIA agent. Bottom right: Tito gives green light to U.S General John C. H. Lee to take down fellow communist ruler Enver Hoxha. | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
Hoxha's regime: Communist Albania |
Western Bloc:
Separatists:  KEVA | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Enver Hoxha Mehmet Shehu Kadri Hazbiu |
 Harry S Truman[4] Dean Acheson Frank Wisner Franklin Lindsay James G. McCargar Roman Rudkowski (Ex-Colonel of the Polish Air Force) Clement Attlee[5] David Smiley Julian Amery Peter Kemp Alexandros Papagos[6] Panteleimon Kotokos Josip Broz Tito Vlado Popović Konrad Adenauer | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
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UDBA | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
unknown |
Initial invasion:/ 500 Agents[7]/ 2,000 paramilitary soldiers[8] 5 submarines 180 C-47 aircraft 80 landing craft assault boats 6 landing craft utility 7,500 commandos[9] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| unknown |
1949–1954/ 300 Anglo-Americans killed[10] 961 Western Allied forces killed[11] 33 Yugoslav agents of the UDBA were captured or executed[12]60 Western Agents were killed[c] [13] | ||||||
| 400 civilians executed | |||||||
The Anglo-American intervention in Communist Albania, codenamed Operation Valuable, was a significant Cold War military conflict conducted by the United Kingdom and the United States, in collaboration with Western allies. This covert operation aimed to overthrow the government led by Enver Hoxha. The intervention sought to counter Communist influence and reinstate a leadership aligned with the Western powers. The operation involved strategic military actions, incorporating air, naval, and ground assets in pursuit of its objectives.[14]
MI6 and the CIA launched a joint subversive operation, using Albanian expatriates as agents. Other anti-communist Albanians and many nationalists worked as agents for Greek and Italian intelligence services, some supported by the Anglo-American secret services. Many of the agents were caught, put on trial, and either shot or condemned to long prison terms at penal labour. [citation needed]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Oller, Jan P. (2009). Gods, Guns, & Fear. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4389-4163-9.
The operations failed, primarily
- ^ Xhudo, Gazmen (27 July 2016). Diplomacy and Crisis Management in the Balkans: A US Foreign Policy Perspective. Springer. ISBN 978-1-349-24947-3.
The attempts by both the US and British failed
- ^ Walton, Calder (6 June 2023). Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-6680-0069-4.
The MI6-CIA attempt to liberate Albania was, however, a dramatic failure.
- ^ Peters, Stephen (13 October 1985). "KIM PHILBY AND THE ALBANIAN MISSION". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ "Attlee's secret war with Stalin". HistoryExtra. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Disaster in Albania: The CIA's First Covert Mission". coldwarhistoryblog. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Country Plan Albania" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 97 (39). 1949.
Present OPC plans for operations in Albania envisage the recruiting and training of an additional guard company, making a total of two (500 agents), and the infiltration of 50 agents by 30 June 1952. Given the widespread although at present uncoordinated opposition to the regime, it should be possible to recruit initially at least 2,000 guerrillas from opposition elements now awaiting outside assistance.
- ^ "Country Plan Albania" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 97 (39). 1949.
- ^ "Η άγνωστη αποτυχημένη προσπάθεια ανατροπής του Ενβέρ Χότζα από Βρετανούς και Αμερικανούς (1949 – 1958) και ο ρόλος της Ελλάδας". www.protothema.gr. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "BBC World Service - World Update, The CIA's Secret Failure in Albania". BBC. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Η άγνωστη αποτυχημένη προσπάθεια ανατροπής του Ενβέρ Χότζα από Βρετανούς και Αμερικανούς (1949 – 1958) και ο ρόλος της Ελλάδας". www.protothema.gr. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ GazetaSot. "Dokumenti i CIA zbardh të vërtetën e operacionit BGFIEND kundër regjimit të Enver Hoxhës, si hidheshin agjentët amerikanë dhe britanikë në Shqipëri dhe roli i agjentëve shqiptarë të stërvitur në Gjermani". sot.com.al. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
Radio Tirana raportoi më 27 tetor se 33 spiunë jugosllavë u kapën ose u vranë nga forcat shtetërore të sigurisë. Asnjë prej tyre nuk ishte agjent i OPC. Këto tre lajmërime tregojnë për suksesin e forcave qeveritare në ndalimin e infiltrimeve nga jashtë. Aktualisht, vetëm dy grupe të OPC janë operativë në Shqipëri, por meqënëse ende nuk është vendosur kontakti radio, statusi i operacioneve nuk njihet. (Albanian) Radio Tirana reported on October 27 that 33 Yugoslav spies were captured or killed by state security forces. None of them were OPC agents. These three announcements show the success of government forces in stopping infiltrations from abroad. Currently, only two OPC groups are operational in Albania, but since radio contact has not yet been established, the status of operations is unknown.
- ^ The Journal of Intelligence History. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 978-3-8258-0650-7.
The next OPC team was parachuted in October 1951, just when in Tirana British, American, Greek, Italian and Yugoslav agents captured at different times were on trial. In general, during 1951, 60 Western agents were parachuted into Albania. None of them survived.
- ^ Gloyer, Gillian (2008). Albania: The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-246-0.