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Acknowledgments
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Acknowledgments This book started with a conversation with Fahri Rama, then a waiter at the Hotel Victory in Prishtina. Fahri was twenty-two at the time, handsome, graceful, and shy. My friend Alban Rafuna, also a waiter in the hotel, introduced me to Fahri, telling me that Fahri has been a KLA soldier. What ensued was a riveting hour-long conversation about how this timid, apparently soft kid had decided to risk his life by taking up an AK-47. Repeatedly humiliated by the Serb police, he had decided he did not care whether he got killed, as long as he could fight for dignity and the independence of his people. Before the evening was done, he had given me a KLA shoulder patch, which he extracted from his wallet, and Commander Remi’s book, which he retrieved surreptitiously from the trunk of his car. Intrigued by Fahri’s story, I met with Ramush Haradinaj on the same trip—in March 2004. “What do you think about a book on the KLA?” I asked. “Great idea!” he said. “Do you think it is too soon?” “No. It’s exactly the right time.” He was emphatic that I should write it, and I, never shy intellectually and welcoming new challenges, said I would. Before long, Hashim Thaçi and Commander Remi also expressed enthusiastic encouragement and support, and we were off and running. Hashim Thaçi, Ramush Haradinaj, and Commander Remi have become important friends to me. All three were consistently generous with their time, open in disclosing information, and invaluable in arranging interviews with others. Valon Murati, Ajet Potera, Besim Beqaj, Afrim Ademi, and Lirim Greiçevci were particularly helpful in arranging for interviews and site x Acknowledgments visits. Alban Rafuna put me in touch with many interesting participants and encouraged them to talk openly with me. He regularly pinch-hit as an interpreter for interviews. Driton (“Toni”) Kukalaj also regularly served as a patient and effective interpreter. Andy Gridinsky did yeoman’s work in reviewing multiple drafts of chapters and vetting them with senior Kosovar Albanians with whom he had professional relations. My colleague Dan Hamilton, on two different occasions, read the complete draft of the book and provided coherent , concise, and intelligent advice on themes and organization. Andrew Wachtel, who took time from his demanding job as dean of the Graduate School at Northwestern University, read the book three times as it matured , providing invaluable advice to me and to the University of Illinois Press, drawing upon his extensive knowledge of the Balkans. Julian Mulla translated KLA communiqués. Matt Stefon did great work in assisting with final editing. Several people were kind enough to work through chapter drafts and give me the benefit of their candid comments and suggestions for improvement: Ambassador Lisen Bashkurti, Besim Beqaj, Carson Block, Bujar Bukoshi, David J. Gerber, Agim Gjinali, General David Grange, Enver Hasani, Rob Katchedorian, Harold J. Krent, Hajredin Kuqi, Brad Loberg, Valon Murati, John F. Murphy, General William Nash, Margaret G. Stewart, and Hashim Thaçi. I benefited greatly from the analytical, creative, and fact-gathering efforts of three of my students: Ben Shanbaum, Jacob Ramer, and Andrew Strong. Mr. Shanbaum gathered much of the basic factual material about the historical foundations of KLA in the LPRK. Mr. Ramer provided thoughtful analysis of International Criminal Law and drafted analyses of ICTY case law. Mr. Strong suggested improvements in methods for recording interviews, interviewed a number of KLA fighters, and contributed several evocative vignettes about personalities. All three were valuable sounding boards as basic theses for the book crystallized from January to July 2005. My assistant at Chicago-Kent, Patricia O’Neal, contributed greatly by helping organize trips and transcribing interviews and dictation. The Chicago -Kent College of Law funded student research assistance throughout the project and also provided a “challenge grant” to support research. Dino Asanaj assisted in identifying key people to interview in Kosovo and Albania. Ambassador Lisen Bashkurti provided invaluable help in arranging conversations with senior officials and former officials of the Albanian government. Irina Faskianos, vice president of the Council on [54.162.130.75] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 13:02 GMT) Acknowledgments xi Foreign Relations, arranged for a manuscript discussion in which participated Andrew Wachtel, Kenneth W. Dam, and John J. Mearsheimer. Willis Regier, director of the University of Illinois Press, expressed interest in the project in its early stages and was patient through the process of preparing the manuscript for publication. Many others...