Albin Kurti expressed his sorrow over the recent passing of Ambassador Tina Kaidanow, recalling their first meeting in 1998 and her later role as the inaugural U.S. ambassador to Kosovo. „We are grateful for her service,“ he shared, offering condolences to her loved ones. However, Kurti once led a political movement that, 17 years ago, celebrated the conclusion of Kaidanow’s tenure as positive news for Kosovo.
During her time in Kosovo, Kaidanow’s reports allegedly to the U.S. government framed Kurti’s arrests as beneficial for Kosovo. She criticized his movement’s protests against the Ahtisaari Plan and the Thaçi government as violent, portraying Kurti as a „danger to public safety“ and „destabilizing force in Kosovo“—particularly after the deadly February 2007 protests. Kaidanow supported efforts to keep Kurti in detention and criticized international judicial authorities for their inadequate handling of the case. Following her departure, Kurti’s party, Self-Determination, protested by placing her image on a garbage bag.
Tina Kaidanow passed away on Wednesday at the age of 59. In 2006, as Kosovo was nearing its unilateral declaration of independence, she led the U.S. office in Kosovo. Kaidanow was a high-ranking diplomat with rich experience and, as described by her colleagues, rare intelligence.
Kaidanow became the U.S. charge d’affaires in Pristina in 2006, and after Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008, she opened the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, becoming the first U.S. ambassador to Kosovo. Before Kosovo, Kaidanow served in Belgrade, Skopje, and Sarajevo, speaking fluent Serbian.
In addition to being the first female ambassador, Kaidanow was known for spending significant time in the field, including in predominantly Serbian areas. She also fully supported the Ahtisaari package, and during her tenure, the U.S. invested considerable funds in the reconstruction of Serbian communities, including healthcare and educational institutions.
Wikileaks Documents on Kaidanow and Kurti
The death of the first U.S. ambassador to Pristina after Kosovo’s declaration of independence led some Kosovo media outlets to revisit her confidential reports, in which she informed her government about the activities of the Self-Determination Movement, led by the now-current Prime Minister during her mandate.
Reports published on Wikileaks, allegedly sent by Kaidanow to U.S. intelligence agencies, the State Department, and the National Security Council, warned of the „danger“ posed by Kurti. Kaidanow characterized him as a dangerous person and described the movement’s tactics as violent, particularly regarding the events of February 10, 2007.
At least four documents are available on Wikileaks.org, sent by the former U.S. office in Pristina to the U.S. government, concerning the events of February 10 and Kurti’s trial.
„Kurti is a Public Safety Threat“
The first document signed by Kaidanow, dated March 2, 2007, recalls the violent protest organized by Self-Determination on February 10, during which two activists, Arben Xheladini and Mon Balaj, were killed, and about 80 people were injured. Three days later, Kosovo police arrested Kurti and detained him for 30 days. The decision was made by an international prosecutor, citing „reasonable suspicion“ that Kurti incited violence and endangered UN personnel and property.
The document indicates that UNMIK Justice Department sources claimed strong evidence against Kurti, including a video showing him leading the crowd.
Kaidanow noted that while the charges against Kurti carried lighter sentences, „the good news is that Kurti, who has led violent demonstrations in the past and will probably do so in the future, will likely remain behind bars in the months leading up to the final resolution of Kosovo’s status“.
„The strong evidence against Kurti and the possibility of his continued detention pending trial are good news for Kosovo. The events of February 10 — in which two lives were lost as a result of SDM’s violent tactics and desire for confrontation — proves that Kurti is not only a flight risk for prosecutors, but a danger to public safety in Kosovo. In or out of jail, the Kurti legend is likely to grow. We support the prosecution of Kurti and — given that he has routinely flouted previous house arrest orders and rejected the jurisdiction of the UN court system — agree that his continued detention is more than warranted. On the eve of renewed protests, it is also in the interests of public safety that he remain in detention“.
Blowing a Whistle: Patriotic Protest When Kurti Does It, Disturbing Peace for Others
Kurti’s Release Comes at a Bad Time
In a report dated June 8, 2007, the U.S. office in Pristina informed the U.S. government that a prosecutor had filed charges against Kurti, but that he was released to house arrest. Kaidanow commented that Kurti’s release came at a particularly bad time, noting that his actions in the first 24 hours of house arrest indicated continued defiance.
„Although the indictment recommended detention on remand and requested that a three-judge international panel rule on the recommendation within 48 hours, the panel ruled on June 7 that Kurti should be released from prison and placed under house arrest pending his trial“, Mrs. Kaidanov wrote reportedly.
„Kurti’s re-release comes at a particularly bad time; his June 8 press conference demonstrates that he will continue to defy Kosovo and international authorities and to stir up the emotions of Kosovars who may grow increasingly impatient with the pace of the final status process. His past actions have proven not only dangerous, but deadly, and he promises to continue to be a destabilizing force in Kosovo. Why the international judge who ordered his release failed to take this into account remains a mystery. In any event, USOP will continue to monitor developments in the Kurti case and to urge patience and restraint on the part of Kosovars as the final status process moves forward“.
Kurti’s Trial – A Circus
A new report, sent on September 26, 2007, a few days after the start of Kurti’s trial, described the atmosphere at the hearing as „circus-like“ with a packed courtroom. Two months later, another report criticized the court’s leniency towards Kurti, commenting that the situation was puzzling, especially given his history of defiance.
„The court’s pandering to Kurti’s antics and its willingness to relax the house arrest order, particularly in the face of Kurti’s defiance, remain baffling. As much as Kurti would like to politicize the trial, the charges are that he instigated violence on February 10 that led to the death of two individuals“.
Self-Determination’s Protest Against Kaidanow
Kaidanow completed her mission in Kosovo and moved on to new diplomatic duties in the summer of 2009. At that time, Self-Determination organized a protest against her, accusing her of turning Kosovo into a „postmodern monarchy.“
As part of the protest, activists placed a garbage bag with a box featuring Kaidanow’s image wearing a crown. Two individuals with boxes over their heads, representing Kosovo’s then-Prime Minister and President, Hashim Thaçi and Fatmir Sejdiu, „begged“ Kaidanow to stay.
Self-Determination activists declared that her departure was „very good news for the people of Kosovo.“
Peaceful Protests?
While Kaidanow and other international officials described the 2007 protests, held just before Kosovo’s declaration of independence, as violent demonstrations, Self-Determination and Kurti continue to claim that the protests were peaceful.
Kurti, now Prime Minister, often reflects on the 2007 demonstrations, asserting that they were part of the fight for „state-building,“ and „there can be no compromise in state-building.“
Kurti Now Thanks Kaidanow for Her Service
The news of Tina Kaidanow’s death reached Kurti, now serving as Kosovo’s Prime Minister, and in his message of condolence, he thanked her for her service and expressed sorrow over her passing.
„I remember meeting her in person in 1998, and ten years later, she became the first U.S. ambassador to Kosova. We are grateful for her service,“ Kurti said in a post on X last night.
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