Kosovo president says he doesn’t fear war crime charges

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The president of Kosovo has told his nation that his indictment on war crimes will not hamper the country’s future and urged the local political parties to unite behind talks on normalizing ties with neighboring Serbia. President Hashim Thaci on Saturday held a television address after returning from four days of questioning by prosecutors at a special international court in The Hague, Netherlands. The alleged crimes, which Thaci denies, took place during the 1998-1999 war that killed more than 10,000 people and ended after NATO’s intervention. Thaci was a leader in the Kosovo Liberation army, which fought for independence from Serbia. The Serbian government still does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.