Senior US officials on the Hague process: The truth cannot be defeated
Two senior American public officials have expressed support for former KLA leaders in The Hague.
Retired United States Army General Mick Kicklighter, in an interview with Dukagjini Television, told how he met with former President Hashim Thaçi almost a decade ago.
"I met with President Thaçi 7 years ago in Washington. We had a good, important discussion, and I was impressed with his ability and his commitment. I felt honored to speak with him. When I heard that he had been in prison for a long time, Ahmeti and I met, talked and prayed for him. It is a sad situation that I do not understand because there is so much to understand about this whole situation and so many truths that have been left aside. These men should return to their families and their country as soon as possible, they are all extraordinary leaders," said Mick Kicklighter - Retired US Army General.
In addition to him, Tony Hall - a member of the House of Representatives in the US Congress from 1979 to 2002, has also spoken on television about the process in the Specialized Chambers for Kosovo.
"I have never seen a court like this keep people like this in prison for 5 years and still not make a decision. Justice may be delayed but truth cannot be defeated. It is not fair to these men who have been there for 5 years and it is unbelievable that this is happening," said Tony Hall - Former US Congressman.
He says that in a democratic society, he has never heard in his long political and diplomatic career of people being held in prison for 5 years without a decision. He called this senseless and unjust.
Meanwhile, military officer Kicklighter - who also served as Inspector General at the Department of Defense under the Bush Administration in 2007 - says that for him this entire process is flawed, RTVDukagjini reports.
"Justice delayed is injustice. Also, transparency and truth are extremely important and people are innocent until proven guilty. These people have been in prison for more than 5 years, I can't understand this," said Mick Kicklighter - Retired US Army General.
Former Congressman Hall finds the flow and origins of many of the allegations particularly problematic.
"What worries me the most is that many of the accusations have come and have been supported by Putin and Russia, as well as by groups that are not good for the state of Kosovo. To me, it is all one-sided and very much against the state and it is not fair. I have not yet seen the truth and transparency made public and this worries me," said Tony Hall - Former US Congressman.
Meanwhile, former minister and former ambassador Ahmet Shala, who was a point of reference between this team and the former KLA leaders, believes that the outcome of this trial will be in their favor.
"Through these prayers, these actions, let us have an impact on those who, knowingly or unknowingly, have fallen into a trap, which has been set up in the most diabolical way by anti-Albanian, anti-American and anti-democratic circles, whose origins are unknown," said Ahmet Shala - Former Ambassador of Kosovo to Japan.
This is the last week when the trial against the former KLA leaders is expected to conclude, with a verdict expected by early summer at the latest.
