To Cross the Line

The Peoples' Socialist Republic of Albania, after World War II, was governed by the National Liberation Front (NLF), a communists group under the leadership of General Enver Hoxha. Hoxha remained first secretary of the Central Committee Secretariat of Albania's communists party and ruled Albania with an iron fist from 1949 until his death in 1985.Proscribed behaviour meant the death penalty, including attempting to escape from Albania, sabotage, religious services and espionage. In 1952 British and American defence forces initiated an airborne invasion of Albania, Operation Valuable, which failed. Later it was revealed that information might have been leaked from MI5, the top secret British intelligence agency. The identity of the informers was unknown but later it was known Donald Maclean was involved and an unknown spy also involved in the drop-off. Into this country in 1984 arrived a young Australian girl who fell in love with her tour guide, Hysnie. Their forbidden love affair sparked off danger, death and the unmasking of the traitor.