In Kosovo’s Guerrilla Heartlands, Impending Trial Verdict Stirs Anger, Fierce Loyalty

Milazim Thaci survived unscathed, hidden beneath the bodies of those who could not escape the bullets. On March 28, 1999, four days into a NATO air war to drive Serbian forces from Kosovo, he was among a group of 33 men led away for execution in the Drenica Valley, the heartland of the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. He recalled the Serbian policemen and soldiers taunting them: “Where’s Thaci? Where’s NATO?” By ‘Thaci’ they meant Hashim Thaci, one of the KLA’s top leaders. Milazim knew him better as his younger cousin, a shy, lanky boy always respectful of his elders. “He was a boy of few words,” Milazim told BIRN in his home in Buroje, a village in the Skenderaj/Srbica district. Subscribe to Balkan Insight Premium to read the full article. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber. Buy Premium Subscription Our Premium Service gives you full access to all content published on BalkanInsight.com, including analyses, investigations, comments, interviews and more. Choose your subscription today and get unparalleled in-depth coverage of the Southern and Eastern Europe. Buy Premium Subscription If you have trouble logging in or any other questions regarding you account, please contact us