John Duncan, a British diplomat with 38 years of service and former advisor to NATO Commander Wesley Clark (1998–2002), has begun his testimony at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague as the third witness in defense of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi.
He follows James Rubin, former spokesperson for Madeleine Albright, and Paul Williams, Kosovo’s advisor during the Rambouillet negotiations, both of whom testified earlier in support of Thaçi. Duncan’s testimony is expected to last three days.
At the heart of the proceedings remains the charge of the so-called “Joint Criminal Enterprise” (JCE), one of the most serious allegations brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office against Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi, and Selimi. Defense lawyers are continuously challenging this claim through the testimonies of international witnesses.
James Rubin, in his testimony, emphasized that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) did not have conventional military structures such as battalions or brigades. He added that many members did not even have uniforms, and that KLA communiqués served primarily as tools of propaganda. Rubin further stated that the KLA was organized more in local groups and clans rather than as a formal military structure.
Paul Williams, former advisor to the Kosovo team at Rambouillet, testified that the KLA was organized largely on rural and cultural bases rather than strict military hierarchy. According to him, it was clear that the area commanders had to be directly involved in the Rambouillet negotiations.
With Duncan’s testimony, Thaçi’s defense seeks to strengthen the argument that the KLA did not function as a structured criminal army, but rather as a fragmented resistance force shaped by the circumstances of war.
