John Stewart Duncan, former political adviser to NATO’s supreme commander Wesley Clark, stated that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA/UCK) was a heterogeneous organization, with individuals taking up arms for different motives.
“The composition of key actors, particularly when ethnic cleansing began to escalate, had several layers; there were people who had served in the Yugoslav Army, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and others whose families had been mistreated. Their motivations for taking up arms were sometimes different,” Duncan said.
He noted that there were also women in the KLA, some of whom were survivors of sexual violence.
“To sexually abuse an Albanian woman is horrific. We must remember that we are speaking of a Muslim society, but it is not a deeply religious society. Albanians have told me that in fact they are Muslims who make the sign of the cross when passing by a church. It is not an Islamic society in the way the term is understood in the Middle East. The matter of honor is extremely important to Albanians, and for a woman to be dishonored in such a manner is unacceptable,” Duncan added.
He explained that the international community often perceived the KLA as a criminal group, but in his view, the movement was highly creative and resourceful.
According to Duncan, Kosovars followed the code of conduct known as the Kanun, which is based on principles of trust and honor and originates from medieval times.
Duncan also stated that he personally signed the agreement for the demilitarization of the KLA, which was signed by Hashim Thaçi.
