http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=01&dd=19&nav_i
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Beta News Agency (Serbia)
January 19, 2008
Thaci refuses to apologize for KLA crimes
ÈAGLAVICA - Hashim Thaci has refused to apologize to
the Serbs for the crimes committed while he was the
leader of the KLA.
The so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which the
Serbian state considered terrorist, was involved in
attacks on Serb police and civilians before and during
the 1999 war in Kosovo.
But Thaci was not the subject of investigation by the
Hague Tribunal prosecutors, who raised indictments
against three former KLA leaders, Ramush Haradinaj,
Idriz Balaj, and Lahi Brahimaj, for their actions in
1998.
The new Kosovo prime minister was taking part in a
news conference in Èaglavica's media center today,
when reporters asked whether he felt guilty for the
crimes committed against the Serbs in the province.
Journalists also wanted to know if Thaci would
apologize to the victims, now that he has assumed the
duties of the province's prime minister.
"I am very proud of my past and the past of my people
who, along with NATO, arrived at the goal," he
answered, in reference to the NATO bombing of Serbia
in the spring of 1999, which ended after 78 days with
the withdrawal of Serbian securty forces from the
province, and its placement under UN administration,
regulated by the Security Council Resolution 1244.
"We need to turn to the future, not to the past," said
Thaci, and then added, "everyone knows who should be
apologizing."
....
Official data shows that nearly 190,000 Serbs and
other non-Albanians left the province after the war in
1999. Almost all of them now live in other parts of
Serbia as IDPs, or internally displaced persons.
Thaci said today that the resolution of Kosovo's
status should not bring fear, but rather a better
future for all residents, and stressed that "there has
been no ethnically motivated violence for the past two
years."
....
Thaci did not wish to speculate on the date Kosovo
Albanians might decide to unilaterally declare the
province's independence, but said this would happen
"in the near future and in coordination with
Washington and Brussels."
Serbian News Network - SNN
news@antic.org
http://www.antic.org/
