James Rubin, one of the closest associates of Madeleine Albright and Bill Clinton, mentioned during his defense testimony at The Hague in the trial against former KLA leaders that Ramush Haradinaj had been a collaborator with the CIA.
In response to this statement, which sparked considerable debate in Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), spoke for the first time in an interview on Rubikon about when and how he came into contact with the CIA.
“Mr. Rubin was right — he didn’t testify to anything that wasn’t true. He correctly stated that even before the open war, we had communication with American security institutions, prior to 1998. Before preparations for our war began, such communications took place. Personally, I had continuous contact with respected American security institutions,” Haradinaj said.
“I think they had their own motives for meeting us. They wanted to be the first to know everything — not just about security plans, but also to understand who we were, what our goals were, and to build a position to advise U.S. decision-makers about what was happening. It was my duty to tell the truth, to make sure they understood me first. At that time, I was still moving between Switzerland,” Haradinaj explained to Klan Kosova.
Haradinaj went on to detail how coordination with the CIA took place and why it was important: “It was crucial to clarify that we were not just a leftist military wing, that we had no religious or inter-ethnic agenda. Our purpose was the liberation of our country, rights, democracy, and freedom — the things that indeed happened. As little as I could contribute, I am glad I did.”
“An advantage was that, living abroad, I could communicate in two languages — English and French. I communicated directly, and even during the war, contact with American security institutions never stopped. We still communicate today,” Haradinaj concluded.
