Norwegian journalist filming war in Kosovo talks about Kadri Veselin, Milaim Zekana and KLA

Norwegian journalist Paul Refsdal had been a reporter during wartime in Kosovo. When he heard of the murder of the Jashar family, he had decided to come and his camera record with photographs the entire history of the war that took many lives. Even 17 years after the war ended, he has fresh memories of his experiences in Kosovo and KLA commanders whose nicknames he remembers. In an exclusive confession to Periscope, he speaks of his experiences as Kosovo war reporter, contacts with KLA commanders Lulin, Serpent, Kapucci, ten of the Sultan. Among other things, exclusively for Periscope, he relates how he met Milaim Zekana, who had played double roles during the war. She was a soldier and filmer of KLA bases, while later pretending to be a journalist in front of international agencies to sell her film.

The career as a war journalist had begun in 1984. Wherever it was reported for a war, Paul would be there. He had covered and fought in Kosovo, where he was also wounded with a guarantee of Serbian soldiers. The grenade wounds he managed to heal at Drenica's secret hospitals, most of which were improvised in private homes. At Lekoci Hospital, where Paul Refsdal was being treated, there were wounded KLA soldiers of the Drenica Zone.

He tells of the meetings he had had with some of the KLA commanders at the KLA General Staff in Licoc during 1998, which he says were effective but had no military strategy, as an Army should have decided to face numerous Serb forces, which were constantly attacking.

I was entering from Albania into Kosovo with a group of soldiers who were being led by Commander “Little Day”, as was then called Hysni Syla. I was coming in from Kruma, Albania, and I was going through Pashrik. Hours after we entered Kosovo, Serbs caught us in ambush, I was wounded by a hand grenade that fell near me. Two more were killed, and there was a lot of chaos. I was left alone in the woods and dragged myself into the woods, where I was listening to the voice of the people screaming down there until I came in contact with a group. I got in touch with Commander “Little Day” and they helped me. I spent time in secret hospitals in Drenica, leaving the ongoing Serbian attacks. It took me three and a half months until I was able to get up and walk the Middle East. I've known the whole KLA leader in Drenica. I met with Luli (Cardi Veseli), the Serpent (Hashim Thaci), the Sultan (Syleman Selimi), the ten (Rejep Selimi), Fehmi Ladrovci (killed during the war in Kosovo), Capua (Muj Krasniqi, also killed during the war), and others”, he relates.

He relates how with a device borrowed by Commander “Luli”, as Kadri Wessel was then known, he had photographed the wounded who were lying in the Lecocci hospital, where he was being treated after the wounds suffered.

The doctors had not photographed them, fearing that Serbian soldiers would find his camera and kill them.

I asked the KLA “for “to borrow his camera, since I lost mine along with my bag when I was injured. With that camera I photographed the wounded lying in the hospital, but not the doctors who could be killed if the Serbian Army found my camera. Then I got permission to take pictures of the KLA soldiers in this area”, he tells us about Periscope.

According to him, the Kosovo Liberation Army was very limited in the matter of photographs and images that could be filmed.

“U n The CK was very limited in the matter of photography or footage. Very few journalists were allowed to shoot during that time. That's why today there are few facts documented for them”, reports Norwegian journalist for Periscope.

Standing in Kosovo during wartime was not easy for him.

Exactly for Periscope, he relates the difficulties he faced during that time.

The biggest problem I had was that I was injured by Serb forces in Pashrik as I entered Kosovo. The KLA was very closed to the media during wartime. Very few journalists were allowed to film them. In Kosare I faced another problem because I was arrested by the commander of a brigade after refusing to deliver my footage. After one day I was released and took my footage. If I'm not mistaken, The KLA in Kostunica has been led by FARK. Then I was forced to go to Macedonia, from where I entered Kosovo and went with the KLA to Kletchka (near Malisheva), where I stayed with KLA members until the end of the” war, Resdal adds.

During his confession, Refsdal also mentions Milaim Zeka, whom he remembers as a man with double roles he had held during the war in Kosovo.

She had met Zechariah several times in Kostunica, and another time in Kukes.

He is described as a man very interested in money. He relates how Milaim Zeka, now an MP in the Kosovo Assembly, claimed to be a member The KLA shot images of soldiers and KLA bases.

According to Refsdale, the images Zeka filmed sold to international agencies, which he sold as a war journalist.

I met Zechariah several times in Kostare and once in Kukes. He seemed very interested in money. It's okay if a journalist tries to make money through his work, but he claims he belongs to U. CK was walking around on their bases and at the same time asking for money for material that he had filmed. He played two roles, which is not right. When I met in Kukes with him, I told him that I would like to infiltrate Kosovo (The Society wasn't far away), but he made it clear to me that I have to pay him for this”, Resdal relates.

He was arrested in Kostunica by the commander of the Brigade.

His suspicions were that Milaim Zeka was involved in the arrest, which he says was later confirmed by members of the KLA itself.

According to him, Milaim Zeka wanted to create monopolies of KLA footage. So if he was the only one who had them and then sold them to foreign media.

Because of him, I was arrested in Kostunica. That was my suspicion, which was later confirmed by members of the KLA. Zeka wanted to create a monopoly filming in Kostunica and not allow anyone else to shoot”, the Norwegian reporter reports away.

All his experiences, including those with Milaim Zekana Refsdal, have been published in his book “G THE ERORTEREN ENGLE”, which is written in Norwegian.

During his conversation with Periscope he sent a few separate parts from his book, which mentions Zeka.

A Swedish-based Albanian in the past two weeks came to this ground. His name is Milhouse and he's working for a Swedish television. His head was holding a UCK emblem and a video camera in his hand. Once upon a time he was a reporter of other UCK soldiers. I didn't have the luxury of being irritated by his behavior because my job was to film”, he writes.

The “returning from the Albanian military checkpoint was stopped by a guerrilla leader who was also chief of the region's brigade. He was Rrustem Berisha. I've met him before and he seemed arrogant in his behavior. For that reason, I had little desire to talk to him again. He told me I'm not a good person because I'm filming I'm going to Kukes and I'm selling film recordings and satellite conversations. It doesn't take a few seconds and I understand who's behind all this. Milami with his camera and KLA beers. He and the corporate officer, Nasim, who brought me here first. After Milamim had arrived, Nazim made my job even more difficult. I had the doubt that Milami wanted to eliminate me and my competitors and that he wanted to be the only person with the camera here on the front and then create monopolies for selling the recordings”, he writes away.

Norwegian journalist shows how in 1999 he had stayed with KLA members all along as long as NATO bombings lasted.

During that time, Paul had once left for Tirana, while then he went to Norway to be completely healed. Over a year he had worked for CNN, where he had filmed Kosovo refugees fleeing Kosovo in Albania. Now his pictures are stored in the Kosovo Archive.

Last time he was in Kosovo last year, he attended a Prizren film festival. A documentary on the terrorist organisation “Al Qaeda” was shown in Syria. Currently, he works as a war reporter in Syria./Periscopi