Michael Durkee, former political advisor to Wesley Clark, has concluded his testimony before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. Durkee first appeared on Wednesday and returned on Thursday to testify about the post-war period in Kosovo.
Durkee, who served as General Clark’s political advisor, stated that during a meeting held in March or April 1999 in Mons, Belgium, with former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, they did not have clear information about the capabilities of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA/UÇK).
He added that the KLA lacked a solid command structure, where someone in Prishtina could issue orders that would then result in specific actions on the ground. “Many Albanians who returned to their homes after the war felt betrayed by people they had grown up with,” Durkee emphasized.
When asked by the prosecutor whether he had read the indictment against the former KLA leaders — Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi — Durkee replied briefly: “No, I have not read it,” adding that he was unaware of the specific crimes they were accused of.
Meanwhile, the Specialist Chambers in The Hague have announced that Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces in Europe, is set to begin his testimony on November 17 in the ongoing trial against the former KLA leaders.
