
The defense in the trial of the Kosovo Liberation Army foursome, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selim, begins testimony today at the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The first witness called by former President Thaçi's defense is former US Assistant Secretary of State, James Rubin.
Rubin, who is now testifying in defense of the Kosovo Liberation Army foursome, was assistant secretary of state for public affairs and official spokesman during the administrations of Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. He was one of the key figures in US foreign policy in the late 1990s.
Jakup Krasniqi's lawyer, Venkateswari Alagendra, also asked Rubi if he agreed that Krasniqi, Ramë Buja, and Sokol Bashota were moderate leaders within the KLA.
Rubin asserted that this was true, adding that “extremists within the KLA were endangering the lives of thousands of civilians,” while “moderates like Krasniqi and Thaçi aimed to sign the Rambouillet Agreement to secure Western support and protect the population.” Jakup Krasniqi’s lawyer, Venkateswari Alagendra, asked Rubin if he had had any contact with Krasniqi.
"I had minimal contact with Krasniqi. My main interlocutor was Thaçi," Rubin replied.
Asked if he had found information linking him to the allegations of executions and murders, Rubin said that, similarly to Thaçi, he had not come across any information linking him to these allegations.
"I asked everyone who might have information about these allegations, not only in the 2000s, but also later. But I never received any information that would link these allegations to them," Rubin said.
Veseli's lawyer asked Rubin if he had received information from Shaun Byrnes, who headed the US Diplomatic Observer Mission in Kosovo, during the war.
Rubin answered yes, describing Byrnes as a reliable source who provided accurate data, especially on the movements of Serbian forces.
When asked if he received information from the KLA, Rubin said “probably not,” adding that the main focus was on the actions of the Serbian army.
He emphasized that information about the KLA came mainly from intelligence and diplomatic channels that had contacts with Kosovo Albanians.
"The war was going on. The KLA took the fate of its people into its own hands. The KLA responded and Serbia responded," Rubin said.
Kadri Veseli's lawyer, Rodney Dixon, asked Rubin about the reasoning behind international intervention in Kosovo.
Rubin said that after Bosnia, where horrific crimes occurred, the goal was to protect civilians and prevent a repeat of that horror.
According to him, Kosovo Albanians were being killed just because they were Albanians.
"We wanted to be on the side of the victims. They were not only oppressed, they were being massacred," Rubin said.
"The goal was for people to be free and not follow the policies of their oppressor," he added.
During his testimony at the Specialist Chambers, Rubin was asked by Thaçi's lawyer if he remembered that former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had told Thaçi that he would be held criminally responsible for crimes that might be committed in Kosovo after the entry of KFOR.
"No, I don't remember," Rubin replied.
He explained that Albright understood the importance of investigating crimes, but her goal was to punish individuals responsible for the violence and not allow for collective blame.
According to Rubin, Albright had asked Thaçi to show tolerance and do his best to ensure that his people were also tolerant, while justice would take care of the individual responsibility of those who committed violence. (REL)