Wesley Clark: Albanians had the right to rebel – When I said it in The Hague, they cut me off
tidings
Express Newspaper
02/10/2026 7:57
The former supreme commander of NATO, Wesley Clark, has called the punishment of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) offensive, in an interview for Klan News.
Clark said that he had not been presented with evidence for the actions for which the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, could be held responsible. He emphasized that during the war, Thaçi was not the leader of military operations and had no daily control over what happened in the fighting.
“I met Hashim Thaçi twice during the conflict in Kosovo. He was not the leader, Agim Çeku was the leader. Hashim Thaçi spoke German, he did not control what happened in the fighting on a daily basis,” said Clark.
He added that even after the end of the war it was difficult to control everything that happened, citing the possibility that individuals returning from the war may have committed certain actions as a result of their experiences during the conflict.
The former NATO commander emphasized that Kosovo Albanians had the right to rebel against the Serbian occupier. He criticized the court’s approach to accountability for the killings, calling the decision offensive.
“Albanians had the right to rebel. But the court said that someone was killed and that someone should be held responsible for this murder. This was the motto of the court. The decision is offensive,” declared Clark.
To illustrate his position, Clark also referred to the situation in Iran, raising the question of whether people who rebel against a regime should be punished if there is a murder during the uprising.
He said that he had presented this argument in The Hague, but was interrupted by those present, without understanding the reason for the intervention.
