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Kosovo Liberation Army

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File:Uck kla logo.gif
Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës.

The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA (Albanian: Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës or UÇK) was an ethnic Albanian paramilitary group which fought for the secession of Kosovo from Yugoslavia in the late 1990s.

Its campaign of attacking Serbian security forces precipitated a major Yugoslav military crackdown which led to the Kosovo War of 1999. During its existence, KLA murdered more than a thousand of civilians, both Serbs and Albanians[1][2] (for a more detailed overview see Victims) and it was seen as a successful movement of national liberation by many of Kosovo's Albanians[citation needed]. The Yugoslav authorities considered it to be a terrorist organization[3], as did US special envoy to the Balkans Robert Gelbard[4]. Some former members were also widely regarded as being involved in postwar criminal activities[5] and the destabilization of neighboring states in pursuit of a "Greater Albania".[6]


Victims

KLA actions can be divided in two parts: before and after NATO arrival on Kosovo. From January 1 1998 to June 10 1999, KLA murdered 988 people and kidnapped 287; in the period from June 10 1999 to November 11 2001, 847 murdered and 1154 kidnapped people are attributed to KLA. Majority of these people were civilians.[1]

Of 988 people murdered in the first period, 87 were Serbian or Montenegrin civilians, 230 Albanian civilians, 18 civilians of other nationalities, 351 Yugoslav soldiers, 230 Serbian police and 72 unidentified. Of 847 people killed in the second period, 709 were Serbian or Montenegrin civilians, 67 Albanian civilians, and 71 civilians of other nationalities.[1]

Of 287 people kidnapped in the first period, 155 were Serbian or Montenegrin civilians, 64 Albanian civilians, 25 civilians of other nationalities, 30 Yugoslav soldiers, and 13 Serbian police. Of 1154 people kidnapped in the second period, 1002 were Serbian or Montenegrin civilians, and 152 civilians of other nationalities.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Žrtve albanskog terorizma na Kosovu i Metohiji (Ubijena, oteta i nestala lica, januar 1998 - novembar 2001)
  2. ^ KLA Trial Hears of Abductions by Institute for War & Peace Reporting
  3. ^ MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
  4. ^ Terrorist Groups and Political Legitimacy
  5. ^ Drugs money linked to the Kosovo rebels by The Times
  6. ^ KLA Profile by FAS Intelligence Research Program

General references

  • "KLA Action Fuelled NATO Victory", Jane's Defence Weekly, 16 June 1999
  • "The KLA: Braced to Defend and Control", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 April 1999
  • "Kosovo's Ceasefire Crumbles As Serb Military Retaliates", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 February 1999
  • "Another Balkan Bloodbath? Part Two", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 March 1998
  • "Albanians Attack Serb Targets", Jane's Defence Weekly, 4 September 1996
  • "The Kosovo Liberation Army and the Future of Kosovo", James H. Anderson and James Phillips, 05/13/1999, Heritage Foundation, Heritage Foundation (Washington, USA)
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