The then US envoy for the Balkans, Christopher Hill, during his testimony at the Special Court in The Hague, told of a meeting he had with Rexhep Selimi in Likoc, whom he initially thought was the person making decisions on behalf of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
Hill confessed that he was irritated when he realized that Selimi was not the one making the decisions, as the latter had told him that he had to wait.
According to him, the meeting was also attended by Fehmi Agani as a member of the LDK, as well as journalists Veton Surroi and Blerim Shala. Hill's delegation also included the assistant and press spokesperson of the US embassy in Skopje.
"There was a Fehmi. It seems to me that a member of the LDK was present at this meeting, it seems to me that it was Fehmi Agani; two well-known Albanians: Veton Surroi - he was a journalist, and Blerim Shala, the second person," Hill declared.
He explained that this meeting was part of efforts to understand who was leading the KLA and how to get it to become part of a political process.
"I thought this was urgent because we had a draft autonomy and we weren't able to negotiate it because no one was involved. We had to form a team so that we wouldn't be in a situation where people who wouldn't accept the results were involved," he said.
Hill mentioned that the meetings continued the next day, during which, while traveling towards Shtime, their vehicle was shot at.
"Exactly! I think we went to Shtime and there was fighting there. On that trip, I remember Fehmi Agani saying that it was a provocation by the Serbs. Since our vehicle was hit by bullets – it was armored, fortunately – then we decided to interrupt the trip," Hill confessed.
He indicated that the meeting requested the restructuring of the KLA with a new prime minister, while Mehmet Hajrizi also participated in the meeting.
According to Hill, Rexhep Selimi had only thanked him and said that the issues would be forwarded to the "Chief of Staff."
"Hill told him that he thought Selimi himself was Chief of Staff and was surprised when he said no. I said, 'And you're the person you're telling me isn't the one making the decision?' - he replied, 'No, I'm not the one,'" Hill said, adding that he was very upset after Selimi told him that the decision could be made "next week."
He emphasized that he had the feeling that none of the KLA representatives wanted to take responsibility for any concrete decision.
"Initially they told me I would meet with a person who would make a decision, but basically they didn't want anyone to take any kind of responsibility. For any real discussion," Hill said.
The American diplomat also spoke about another meeting in Junik, where he had met a KLA person with a beard and camouflage clothing, but who - according to him - was not a leader of the organization either.
