Misplaced Pages

#17982

75-483: The UÇPMB's uniforms, procedures and tactics mirrored those of the then freshly disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The 1,500-strong paramilitary launched an insurgency in the Preševo Valley from 1999 to 2001, with the goal of joining these municipalities to Kosovo . The EU condemned what it described as the " extremism " and use of "illegal terrorist actions" by the group. In 1992–1993, ethnic Albanians created

150-506: A 2001 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW): The KLA was responsible for serious abuses... including abductions and murders of Serbs and ethnic Albanians considered collaborators with the state. Elements of the KLA are also responsible for post-conflict attacks on Serbs, Roma, and other non-Albanians, as well as ethnic Albanian political rivals... widespread and systematic burning and looting of homes belonging to Serbs, Roma, and other minorities and

225-655: A 5-kilometre-wide Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) was created. It served as a buffer zone between the Yugoslav Army and the Kosovo Force (KFOR). In June 1999, a new Albanian militant insurgent group was formed under the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB), which started training in the GSZ. The group began attacking Serbian civilians and police, which escalated into an insurgency . With

300-811: A checkpoint along the GSZ just after midnight of 26 May 2001. With the signing of the Končulj Agreement in May 2001, the former KLA and UÇPMB fighters next moved to western Macedonia where the NLA was established, which fought against the Macedonian government in 2001. Ali Ahmeti organized the NLA from former KLA and UÇPMB fighters from Kosovo, Albanian insurgents from the UÇPMB in Serbia, young Albanian radicals, nationalists from Macedonia, and foreign mercenaries. The acronym

375-605: A number of former KLA members, including the former president of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi . A key precursor to the Kosovo Liberation Army was the People's Movement of Kosovo (LPK). This group, who argued Kosovo's freedom could be won only through armed struggle, traces back to 1982, and played a crucial role in the creation of the KLA in 1993. Fund-raising began in the 1980s in Switzerland by Albanian exiles of

450-529: A speech in support of American equipping the KLA with weaponry, comparing it to French support of America in the Revolutionary War . There have been reports of war crimes committed by the KLA both during and after the conflict. These have been directed against Serbs, other ethnic minorities (primarily the Roma ) and against ethnic Albanians accused of collaborating with Serb authorities. According to

525-727: Is a colloquial name for two statements, the Basic UÇPMB statement signed about the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley , signed by the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB) and the Statement on conditional amnesty for members of the UÇPMB , signed by the Republic of Serbia within FR Yugoslavia in 2001. The Končulj Agreement is the first agreement related to Preševo, Medveđa, and Bujanovac. It resulted in

600-533: Is estimated that those funds amounted from $ 75 million to $ 100 million and mainly came from the Albanian diaspora in Switzerland, United States and Germany. The KLA received the majority of its funds through the Homeland Calls Fund, but significant funds were also transferred directly to the war zones. Apart from the financial contributions, the KLA also received contributions in kind, especially from

675-599: Is inhabited by Albanians, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and Serbia during the 1990s. Albanian nationalism was a central tenet of the KLA and many in its ranks supported the creation of a Greater Albania , which would encompass all Albanians in the Balkans, stressing Albanian culture , ethnicity and nation. Military precursors to the KLA began in the late 1980s with armed resistance to Yugoslav police trying to take Albanian activists in custody. By

750-673: The Albanian rebellion of 1997 . During 1997–98, the Kosovo Liberation Army moved ahead of Rugova's LDK, a fact starkly illustrated by the KLA's Hashim Thaçi leading the Kosovar Albanians at the Rambouillet negotiations of spring 1999, with Rugova as his deputy. In February 1996, the KLA undertook a series of attacks against police stations and Yugoslav government officers, saying that they had killed Albanian civilians as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign. Later that year,

825-532: The Interpol General Secretariat claimed that half of the funding that had reached the KLA, which he estimated to have been 900 million DM in total, may have come from drug trafficking. Mother Jones obtained a congressional briefing paper for the U.S. Congress, which stated: "We would be remiss to dismiss allegations that between 30 and 50 percent of the KLA's money comes from drugs." Furthermore, journalist Peter Klebnikov added that after

SECTION 10

#1732772082018

900-588: The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) which started attacking police forces and secret-service officials who abused Albanian civilians in 1995. Starting in 1998, the KLA was involved in frontal battle, with increasing numbers of Yugoslav security forces. Escalating tensions led to the Kosovo War in February 1998. After the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, a three-mile " Ground Safety Zone " (GSZ)

975-973: The Kosovo Protection Corps , a civilian emergency protection body that replaced the KLA and Kosovo Police Force, as foreseen in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 . The ending of the Kosovo war resulted in the emergence of offshoot guerilla groups and political organisations from the KLA continuing violent struggles in southern Serbia (1999–2001) and northwestern Macedonia (2001), which resulted in peace talks and greater Albanian rights. Former KLA leaders also entered politics, some of them reaching high-ranking offices. The KLA received large funds from Albanian diaspora organizations. There have been allegations that it used narcoterrorism to finance its operations. Abuses and war crimes were committed by

1050-504: The Kosovo Protection Corps , which worked alongside NATO forces patrolling the province. In 2000 there was unrest in Mitrovica , with a Yugoslav police officer and physician killed, and three officers and a physician wounded, in February. In March, the FRY complained about the escalation of violence in the region, claiming this showed that the KLA was still active. Between April and September

1125-487: The OSCE 's Kosovo Verification Mission : Upon my arrival the war increasingly evolved into a mid intensity conflict as ambushes, the encroachment of critical lines of communication and the [KLA] kidnapping of security forces resulted in a significant increase in government casualties which in turn led to major Yugoslavian reprisal security operations... By the beginning of March these terror and counter-terror operations led to

1200-590: The overthrow of Slobodan Milošević on 5 October 2000, Vojislav Koštunica wanted the United States to reduce or disband the GSZ, with KFOR mediating a ceasefire on 24 November 2000. Earlier in March 2001, NATO allowed Yugoslav forces to take back the GSZ sector by sector in an attempt to decrease the amount of fierce fighting between the UÇPMB and Yugoslav troops. From 23 May 2001, some 400 UÇPMB forces surrendered to KFOR in an attempt to get amnesty from

1275-547: The violence of 1981 and subsequent émigrés. Slobodan Milošević revoked Kosovan autonomy in 1989, returning the region to its 1945 status, ejecting ethnic Albanians from the Kosovan bureaucracy and violently putting down protests. In response, Kosovar Albanians established the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Headed by Ibrahim Rugova , its goal was independence from Serbia, but via peaceful means. To this end,

1350-423: The Albanian diaspora. According to some sources, the KLA may have received funds from individuals involved in drug trade. However insufficient evidence exists that the KLA itself was involved in such activities. For example, Swiss citizens believe that elements of the Albanian community in Switzerland control narcotics trade in Switzerland. Some of the money earned through these illegal activities may have gone to

1425-610: The British weekly The European carried an article by a French expert stating that "German civil and military intelligence services have been involved in training and equipping the rebels with the aim of cementing German influence in the Balkan area. (...) The birth of the KLA in 1996 coincided with the appointment of Hansjoerg Geiger as the new head of the BND (German secret Service). (...) The BND men were in charge of selecting recruits for

1500-620: The FRY issued several documents to the UN Security Council about violence against Serbs and other non-Albanians. Some people from non-Albanian communities such as the Serbs and Romani fled Kosovo, some fearing revenge attacks by armed people and returning refugees and others were pressured by the KLA and armed gangs to leave. The Yugoslav Red Cross had estimated a total of 30,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kosovo, most of whom were Serb. The UNHCR estimated

1575-571: The KLA and their numbers ranged from several dozen into the thousands. Following the war some Albanians from Macedonia have felt that their military participation and assistance to fellow Kosovan Albanians during the conflict has not been properly recognised in Kosovo. Former KLA spokesman Jakup Krasniqi said that volunteers came from "Sweden, Belgium, the UK, Germany and the U.S.". The KLA included many foreign volunteers from West Europe, mostly from Germany and Switzerland, and also ethnic Albanians from

SECTION 20

#1732772082018

1650-580: The KLA are clearly responsible for many of these crimes". A Serbian court sentenced 9 former KLA members for murdering 32 non-Albanian civilians. In the same case, another 35 civilians are missing while 153 were tortured and released. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989, entered into force on 2 September 1990 and was valid throughout

1725-468: The KLA as a terrorist organisation of militant Islam. The CIA advised the KLA to avoid involvement with Muslim extremists. The KLA rejected offers of assistance from Muslim fundamentalists. There was an understanding within the ranks of the KLA that foreign assistance from Muslim fundamentalists would limit support toward the cause of Kosovo Albanians in the West. After the war, the KLA was transformed into

1800-456: The KLA command structure from the 500,000 Kosovars in Albania." Matthias Küntzel tried to prove later on that German secret diplomacy had been instrumental in helping the KLA since its creation. Serbian authorities denounced the KLA as a terrorist organisation and increased the number of security forces in the region. This had the effect of boosting the credibility of the embryonic KLA among

1875-582: The KLA consisted of only a few hundred fighters. Within the context of the armed struggle, in 1996-1997 a report by the CIA noted that the KLA could mobilize tens of thousands of supporters in Kosovo within a two to three year time frame. By the end of 1998, the KLA had 17,000 men. Religion did not play a role within the KLA and some of its most committed fund raisers and fighters came from the Catholic community. Albanian recruits from neighbouring Macedonia joined

1950-631: The KLA during and after the conflict, such as massacres of civilians, prison camps and destruction of cultural heritage sites. In April 2014, the Assembly of Kosovo considered and approved the establishment of a special court to try cases involving crimes and other serious abuses allegedly committed in 1999–2000 by members of the KLA. In June 2020 the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office filed indictments for crimes against humanity and war crimes against

2025-470: The KLA reverted to guerilla warfare and employed new tactics including the appointment of new commanders, central authorities, expanded training camps and military prisons. Some sources say that the KLA never won a battle, while others say it won relatively few battles. The KLA received large funds from the Albanian diaspora in Europe and the United States, but also from Albanian businessmen in Kosovo. It

2100-545: The KLA through contributions to the Homeland Calls Fund or through the usual funding channels in which individuals and businessmen engaged in legitimate economic activities donated. This however is insufficient evidence to claim that the KLA itself got involved in narcotics trade or other criminal activities. In a hearing before the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security , Ralf Mutschke from

2175-1000: The KLA were attacked, including Zemail Mustafi , the vice-president of the Bujanovac branch of Slobodan Milošević 's Socialist Party of Serbia who was later assassinated. Between 21 June 1999 and 12 November 2000, 294 attacks were recorded. 246 in Bujanovac, 44 in Medveđa and 6 in Preševo. These attacks resulted in 14 people killed (of which six were civilians and eight were policemen), 37 people wounded (two UN observers, three civilians and 34 policemen) and five civilians kidnapped. In their attacks, UÇPMB used mostly assault rifles , machine guns , mortars and sniper rifles , but occasionally also RPGs , hand grenades , and anti-tank and anti-personnel mines . The UÇPMB included child soldiers . On 4 March 2000, around 500 UÇPMB fighters attacked

2250-539: The KLA, argues that "[a]ll available evidence refutes the proposition aggressively advanced by the Milosevic regime that the KLA was mainly financed by drug and prostitution money." The original core of KLA in the early 1990s was a closely knitted group of commanders consisting of commissioned and non commissioned officers belonging to reserve, regular and territorial defense units of the Yugoslav army (JNA). In 1996,

2325-467: The Kosovar Albanian population. Not long before NATO's military action commenced, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants reported that "Kosovo Liberation Army ... attacks aimed at trying to 'cleanse' Kosovo of its ethnic Serb population." One of the goals mentioned by the KLA commanders was the formation of Greater Albania , irredentist concept of lands that are considered to form

Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-652: The Kosovo Liberation Army before NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia". James Bissett , Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Albania, wrote in 2001 on the Toronto Star that media reports indicate that "as early as 1998, the Central Intelligence Agency assisted by the British Special Air Service were arming and training Kosovo Liberation Army members in Albania to foment armed rebellion in Kosovo. (...) The hope

2475-530: The Kosovo War, the KLA changed their tactics from hit and run operations to conventional warfare. In July 1998, the KLA captured the cities of Rahovec and Malisheva and expanded their occupation of territory to 40% of Kosovo. However, without enough manpower and heavy weaponry to defend their gains, both cities quickly fell to Yugoslav forces. Their occupation of Rahovec was marred by acts of atrocities committed against Serbian civilians. On 24 August 1998,

2550-481: The LDK set up and developed a "parallel state" with a particular focus on education and healthcare. Albanian nationalism was a central tenet of the KLA and many in its ranks supported the creation of a Greater Albania , which would encompass all Albanians in the Balkans, stressing Albanian culture , ethnicity and nation. It was considered a terrorist group until the breakup of Yugoslavia . The KLA itself disavowed

2625-584: The Members of Parliament criticised the report, citing lack of evidence, and Marty responded that a witness protection program was needed in Kosovo before he could provide more details on witnesses because their lives were in danger. In 2011, France 24 obtained a classified document which dated back to 2003 and revealed that the UN knew about the organ trafficking before it was mentioned by Carla del Ponte in 2008. In July 2014, American attorney Clint Williamson ,

2700-496: The NATO bombing, KLA-linked heroin traffickers began using Kosovo again as a major supply route. Citing German Federal Police , he said that in 2000, an estimated 80% of Europe's heroin supply was controlled by Kosovar Albanians. According to scholars Gary Dempsey and Roger Fontaine, by 1999, Western intelligence agencies estimated that over $ 250m of narcotics money had found its way into KLA coffers. Scholar Henry Perritt , who studied

2775-465: The Serbian government, while Aleksandar Vučić has stated that there is no evidence that the murder was committed by Albanians, as previously believed. The Serbian Organised Crime Prosecutor's Office launched a new investigation in 2016 and reached the conclusion that the massacre was not perpetrated by Albanians. Many years after the incident, the Serbian government has officially acknowledged that it

2850-778: The U.S. According to the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by September 1998 there were foreign mercenaries from Albania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Muslims ) and Chechnya in the KLA ranks. Citing a 2003 report by the Serbian government, academics Lyubov Mincheva and Ted Gurr claim that the Abu Bekir Sidik mujahideen unit of 115 members operated in Drenica in May–June 1998, and dozen of its members were Saudis and Egyptians, reportedly funded by Islamist organizations. They further claim that

2925-454: The United States and Switzerland. These included weapons, but also military fatigues, boots and other supporting equipment. The KLA received its funding in multiple, decentralized ways. Apart from the Homeland Calls Fund, which mostly went to KLA operations in the Drenica region, the KLA also received donations through personal contacts of commanders with Albanians in the diaspora. Members of

3000-592: The UÇPMB took control of Gornja Šušaja , and were well received by the locals. On 19 January, in command of Bardhyl Osmani , raided VJ positions near Crnotince . On 20 January, the VJ launched an attack against the UÇPMB stronghold. The battle lasted for four days when VJ forces were forced to withdraw. On 13 May 2001, the VJ and Serbian police launched an attack on the UÇPMB in Oraovica before they entered Sector B. The fighting began at 6:10 am when Yugoslav troops entered

3075-474: The UÇPMB. The agreement stated that the VJ was allowed to enter the GSZ by 31 May 2001. At the same time, the Serbian side agreed to sign the Statement on conditional amnesty for members of the UÇPMB , which promised amnesty to UÇPMB fighters on 23 May 2001. After Shefket Musliu signed the Končulj Agreement, he stated: "I can tell you that we have handed over our weapons, and that the time has come to end

Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-664: The War Criminals (2008) that there were instances of organ trafficking in 1999 after the end of the Kosovo War . The allegations have been rejected by Kosovar authorities as fabrications while the ICTY has said "no reliable evidence had been obtained to substantiate the allegations". In early 2011 the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs viewed a report by Dick Marty on the alleged criminal activities and alleged organ harvesting controversy; however,

3225-423: The city of Dobrosin . The battle resulted in one UÇPMB and one Serb fighter killed, while another 175 were displaced. On 21 November 2000, members of the UÇPMB attacked the city of Dobrosin and the surrounding villages. Heavy fighting resulted in the VJ retreating to Končulj , Lučane , and Bujanovac. After four policemen were killed and two wounded by the UÇPMB, the VJ retreated back to the GSZ. On 6 January 2001,

3300-405: The city. At 7:00 am, the UÇPMB attacked Serbian police and fired three rockets towards Oraovica and VJ positions. Attacks from the UÇPMB stopped at 8:00 am. On 14 May 2001, the Yugoslav troops captured the city after the UÇPMB attacked again at 2:15 pm. On 21 May 2001, members of the UÇPMB signed the Končulj Agreement , which resulted in the full demilitarization, demobilization, and disarmament of

3375-470: The conflict. Article 38 of this Convention state the age of 15 as the minimum for recruitment or participation in armed conflict. Article 38 requires state parties to prevent anyone under the age of 15 from taking direct part in hostilities and to refrain from recruiting anyone under the age of 15 years. The participation of persons under the age of 18 in the KLA was confirmed in October 2000 when details of

3450-470: The creation of a 'Greater Albania'. The KLA made their name known publicly for the first time in 1995, and a first public appearance followed in 1997, at which time its membership was still only around 200. Critical of the progress made by Rugova, the KLA received boosts from the 1995 Dayton Accords — these granted Kosovo nothing, and so generated a more widespread rejection of the LDK's peaceful methods — and from looted weaponry that spilled into Kosovo after

3525-488: The destruction of Orthodox churches and monasteries... combined with harassment and intimidation designed to force people from their homes and communities... elements of the KLA are clearly responsible for many of these crimes. The KLA engaged in tit-for-tat attacks against Serbs in Kosovo, reprisals against ethnic Albanians who "collaborated" with the Serbian government, and bombed police stations and cafes known to be frequented by Serb officials, killing innocent civilians in

3600-462: The diaspora usually stressed the difficulties through which KLA's soldiers were going through to fight an uneven battle. They often used stories of KLA members or civilian survivors of massacres to convince others to donate. After collection, the money was then transferred to its destination in different ways. The secrecy of the Swiss banking system allowed some of the funding to be transferred directly to

3675-458: The early 1990s there were attacks on police forces and secret-service officials who abused Albanian civilians. By mid-1998 the KLA was involved in frontal battle though it was outnumbered and outgunned. Conflict escalated from 1997 onward due to the Yugoslav army retaliating with a crackdown in the region which resulted in population displacements. The bloodshed, ethnic cleansing of thousands of Albanians driving them into neighbouring countries and

3750-467: The erection of monuments and commemorative events. The exploits of Adem Jashari have been celebrated and turned into legend by former KLA members and by Kosovar Albanian society. Several songs, literature works, monuments, memorials have been dedicated to him, and some streets and buildings bear his name across Kosovo. After the end of the Kosovo War in 1999 with the signing of the Kumanovo agreement ,

3825-475: The exception of Gramada . They divided the sectors into three zones; North zone, Center zone, and South zone. The Yugoslav Army tried to take back some Serbian-held areas in Mid-November 2000, but they had to retreat following the kidnapping and killings of four policemen and two wounded policemen in the demilitarized zone, allowing the UÇPMB to take one many cities previously held by the FRY. After

SECTION 50

#1732772082018

3900-443: The figure at 55,000 refugees who had fled to Montenegro and Central Serbia , most of whom were Kosovo Serbs: "Over 90 mixed villages in Kosovo have now been emptied of Serb inhabitants and other Serbs continue leaving, either to be displaced in other parts of Kosovo or fleeing into central Serbia." In post war Kosovo, KLA fighters have been venerated by Kosovar Albanian society with the publishing of literature such as biographies,

3975-542: The first period, 335 were civilians, 351 soldiers, 230 police and 72 were unidentified. By nationality, 87 of the killed civilians were Serbs, 230 Albanians, and 18 of other nationalities. Following the withdrawal of Serbian and Yugoslav security forces from Kosovo in June 1999, all casualties were civilians, the vast majority being Serbs. According to Human Rights Watch, as "many as one thousand Serbs and Roma have been murdered or have gone missing since 12 June 1999... elements of

4050-510: The former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues , announced that he and his team had found "compelling indications" that approximately 10 prisoners had been killed so their organs could be harvested. "The fact that it occurred on a limited scale does not diminish the savagery of such a crime," Williamson said, but added that the level of evidence was insufficient to file charges against any particular individual. Kon%C4%8Dulj Agreement Insurgency The Končulj Agreement

4125-485: The full demilitarization, demobilization, and disarmament of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medveda, and Bujanovac. It also calls for integration of ethnic Albanians into governmental, civic, economic, and police structures, and support from the international community to implement the so-called Čović Plan. The agreement ended the conflicts that spilled over from Kosovo , with political representatives from

4200-427: The group was later disbanded, and no permanent Jihadist presence was established.The failure of Islamists groups to gain a foothold with the ranks of the separatist movement is related to the secular foundation of Albanian nationalism and the heavily secular attitudes of Kosovo Albanians which did not leave room for the development of Islamist ideologies. During the Kosovo conflict Milošević and his supporters portrayed

4275-413: The inhabitants of numerous villages fleeing, or being dispersed to either other villages, cities or the hills to seek refuge... The situation was clearly that KLA provocations, as personally witnessed in ambushes of security patrols which inflicted fatal and other casualties, were clear violations of the previous October's agreement [and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1199 ]. At one point during

4350-762: The local Albanians, Serbia, and Kosovo committing to demilitarization and demobilization of the UÇPMB. The agreement was witnessed by Sean Sullivan , who was the NATO Head of Office in the FRY . According to that agreement, the Yugoslav Army was to enter Sector B of the Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) by 31 May 2001. On June 12, 1999, one day after the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement , the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB)

4425-539: The locations where military equipment would be purchased. From the United States, most of the money was legally carried by individuals in suitcases, who reported to the FBI and other federal authorities that they were sending money to the KLA. The KLA also received some funding from the Three-Percent Fund, which was set up by the institutions of Republic of Kosova led by Bujar Bukoshi and was also collected from

4500-446: The murder of nine prisoners from the camp who were marched to the Berisha Mountains on 25 or 26 July 1998 and killed. Bala appealed the sentence and the appeal is still pending. The United States (and NATO) directly supported the KLA. The CIA funded, trained and supplied the KLA (as they had earlier the Bosnian Army ). As disclosed to The Sunday Times by CIA sources, "American intelligence agents have admitted they helped to train

4575-535: The national homeland by many Albanians, encompassing Kosovo, Albania, and the ethnic Albanian minority of neighbouring Macedonia and Montenegro . Between 5 and 7 March 1998, the Yugoslav Army launched an operation on Prekaz . The operation followed an earlier firefight (28 February) in which four policemen were killed and several more were wounded; Adem Jashari , a KLA leader, escaped. In Prekaz, 28 militants were killed, along with 30 civilians, most belonging to Jashari's family. Amnesty International claimed that it

SECTION 60

#1732772082018

4650-410: The potential of it to destabilize the region provoked intervention by international organizations, such as the United Nations , NATO and INGOs . NATO conducted a bombing campaign against Yugoslav forces and provided air support to KLA. In September 1999, with the fighting over and an international force in place within Kosovo, the KLA was officially disbanded and thousands of its members entered

4725-430: The process. Most of its activities were funded by drug running, though its ties to community groups and Albanian exiles gave it local popularity. The Panda Bar incident , a massacre of Serb teenagers in a café, led to an immediate crackdown on the Albanian-populated southern quarters of Peć during which Serbian police killed two Albanians. This has been alleged by the Serbian newspaper Kurir to have been organized by

4800-435: The registration of 16,024 KLA soldiers by the International Organization for Migration in Kosovo became known. Ten percent of this number were under the age of 18. The majority of them were 16 and 17 years old. Around 2% were below the age of 16. These were mainly girls recruited to cook for the soldiers rather than to actually fight. Carla Del Ponte , a long-time ICTY chief prosecutor, claimed in her book The Hunt: Me and

4875-498: The signing of the Končulj Agreement in May 2001, the former KLA and UÇPMB fighters next moved to western Macedonia where the National Liberation Army (NLA) was established, which fought against the Macedonian government in 2001. Ali Ahmeti organized the NLA from former KLA and UÇPMB fighters from Kosovo, Albanian insurgents from the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac in Serbia, young Albanian radicals, nationalists from Macedonia, and foreign mercenaries. The acronym

4950-656: The war. I hope now all children in the villages can go to school again ... I am ready at any moment to face justice, because I have always been convinced and continue to be so about my innocence and that of my ex-combatants." As the situation escalated, NATO allowed the VJ to reclaim the GSZ on 24 May 2001, at the same time giving the UÇPMB the opportunity to turn themselves over to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which promised to only take their weapons and note their names before releasing them. More than 450 UÇPMB members took advantage of KFOR's "screen and release" policy, among them commander Shefket Musliu, who turned himself over to KFOR at

5025-402: Was a military operation focused primarily on the elimination of Jashari and his family. On 23 April 1998, the Yugoslav Army (VJ) ambushed the KLA near the Albanian-Yugoslav border . The KLA had tried to smuggle arms and supplies into Kosovo. The Yugoslav Army, although greatly outnumbered, had no casualties, while 19 militants were killed. According to Roland Keith, a field office director of

5100-449: Was established between Kosovo ( governed by the UN ) and inner Serbia and Montenegro . Yugoslav Forces (VJ) units were not permitted there, and only the lightly armed Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs forces were left in the area. The exclusion zone included the predominantly Albanian village of Dobrosin , but not Preševo . Serbian police had to stop patrolling the area to avoid being ambushed. Ethnic Albanian politicians opposed to

5175-473: Was founded by Shefket Musliu , an auto mechanic from Končulj, who was the highest commander in the UÇPMB. The group began attacking Serbian civilians and police, with the goal of joining Preševo , Medveđa and Bujanovac into Kosovo, which escalated into an insurgency . Due to the FRY's inability to use any heavy weapons in the Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) and against the UÇPMB, the group expanded and occupied all villages related to Sectors B and C east, with

5250-422: Was honored by the Albanian American Civic League at a New Jersey located fundraising event on 23 July 2001. President of the League, Joseph J. DioGuardi , praised Rohrabacher for his support to the KLA, saying "He was the first member of Congress to insist that the United States arm the Kosovo Liberation Army, and one of the few members who to this day publicly supports the independence of Kosovo." Rohrabacher gave

5325-407: Was organized into five brigades, each with their own commanders: Kosovo Liberation Army Wartime events Aftermath Aspects The Kosovo Liberation Army ( KLA ; Albanian : Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës [uʃˈtɾija t͡ʃliɾimˈtaɾɛ ɛ ˈkɔsɔvəs] , UÇK ) was an ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo , the vast majority of which

5400-639: Was perpetrated by agents of the Serbian Secret Service. The exact number of victims of the KLA is not known. According to a Serbian government report, the KLA had killed and kidnapped 3,276 people of various ethnic descriptions including some Albanians. From 1 January 1998 to 10 June 1999 the KLA killed 988 people and kidnapped 287; in the period from 10 June 1999 to 11 November 2001, when NATO took control in Kosovo, 847 were reported to have been killed and 1,154 kidnapped. This comprised both civilians and security force personnel. Of those killed in

5475-417: Was that with Kosovo in flames NATO could intervene ...". According to Tim Judah , KLA representatives had already met with American, British, and Swiss intelligence agencies in 1996, and possibly "several years earlier". American Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher , while opposed to American ground troops in Kosovo, advocated for America providing support to the KLA to help them gain their freedom. He

5550-601: Was the same as the KLA's in Albanian. A number of KLA figures now play a major role in Kosovar politics. Hajredin Bala, an ex-KLA prison guard, was sentenced on 30 November 2005 to 13 years' imprisonment for the mistreatment of three prisoners at the Llapushnik prison camp , his personal role in the "maintenance and enforcement of the inhumane conditions" of the camp, aiding the torture of one prisoner, and of participating in

5625-531: Was the same as the KLA's in Albanian. Another Albanian paramilitary organization Albanian National Army (ANA, AKSh) also had former UÇPMB fighters. The group is associated with FBKSh (National Front for Reunification of Albanians), its political wing. The group participated in attacks against Macedonian forces with the NLA. After the NLA disbanded, the ANA later went and operated in the Preševo Valley . The UÇPMB

#17982