Halit Krendali peered over the edge of a freshly dug pit in southern Kosovo, desperately hopeful his uncle, missing for nearly 30 years, had finally been found in a mass grave.
The 70-year-old looked on as forensic experts in white coveralls carefully examined the excavated earth for any sign of the dozens of dead believed to be buried there.
kAmQx?D92==29[ xV== ?6G6C 4@>6 96C6 282:? 3642FD6 E96C6 :D ?@ 962G:6C 3FC56? E92? E9:D[Q 96 E@=5 pu! 5FC:?8 9:D E9:C5 G:D:E E@ E96 D:E6]k^Am
kAmu@C @G6C 2 H66<[ 7@C6?D:4 E62>D 92G6 366? 6I9F>:?8 C6>2:?D 2E E96 !6CK9:?2 D:E6 :? D@FE96C? z@D@G@[ E96 =2E6DE :? 9F?5C65D @7 >2DD 8C2G6D F?4@G6C65 D:?46 E96 6?5 @7 E96 q2=<2? 4@F?ECJVD `hhg\`hhh H2C H:E9 $6C3:2]k^Am
kAm%96 4@?7=:4E 36EH66? :?56A6?56?46\D66<:?8 6E9?:4 p=32?:2? 8F6CC:==2D 2?5 $6C3:2? 2C>65 7@C46D <:==65 2C@F?5 `b[___ A6@A=6 2?5 =67E c[___ >:DD:?8]k^Am
kAm%9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6 92G6 366? :56?E:7:65 E9C@F89 6I9F>2E:@?D 2?5 s}p E6DE:?8 3FE `[e__ 2C6 DE:== >:DD:?8]k^Am
kAm|@DE @7 E96 =2EE6C 2C6 6E9?:4 p=32?:2?D] p?@E96C d__ 2C6 $6C3D[ #@>2 2?5 @E96C >:?@C:E:6D]k^Am
k9am\ Vs2>2865[ 7C28>6?E65[ 3FC?65V \k^9am
kAm$@ 72C[ E96 C6>2:?D @7 E9C66 A6@A=6 92G6 366? 6I9F>65 2E !6CK9:?2[ H96C6 E96 8@G6C?>6?EVD >:DD:?8 A6CD@?D 4@>>:DD:@? 6IA64ED 2D >2?J 2D cf 3@5:6D E@ 36 F?4@G6C65 :? E96 4@>:?8 52JD]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 492:C>2? @7 E96 8@G6C?>6?EVD 4@>>:DD:@? 7@C >:DD:?8 A6CD@?D[ zFD9EC:> v2C2[ D2:5 96 DFDA64E65 E96 3@5:6D @7 5@K6?D >@C6 p=32?:2? 4:G:=:2?D 925 366? >@G65 7C@> E96 D:E6 E@ 2?@E96C =@42E:@?]k^Am
kAmQ%96J H6C6 6I42G2E65 2?5 3FC:65 6=D6H96C6 3J $6C3:2? 7@C46D E@ 9:56 H2C 4C:>6D[Q v2C2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 H2C[ $6C3 7@C46D >@G65 3@5:6D 7C@> >2DD 8C2G6D E@ 4@?462= >2DD24C6D[ C68F=2C=J FD:?8 962GJ >249:?6CJ[ >2<:?8 E96 ;@3 @7 7@C6?D:4 E62>D 6G6? 92C56C[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 `[___ 3@5:6D 92G6 366? C64@G6C65 7C@> D:E6D :? $6C3:2 2=@?6 \\ H:E9 @G6C fc_ 7@F?5 :? @?6 >2DD 8C2G6 :? E96 @FE6C q6=8C256 ?6:893@FC9@@5 @7 q2E2;?:42 :? a__`]k^Am
kAmxE 42? E2<6 J62CD 2?5 6G6? 564256D E@ :56?E:7J C6>2:?D 7@F?5 :? E96D6 8C2G6D 244FC2E6=J 2?5 D@>6 2C6 DE:== F?<?@H?]k^Am
kAmpE E96 x?DE:EFE6 @7 u@C6?D:4 |65:4:?6 :? !C:DE:?2[ 3@I6D 4@?E2:?:?8 C6>2:?D @7 36EH66? ad_ 2?5 b__ A6@A=6 C64@G6C65 7C@> D:E6D 2C@F?5 E96 C68:@? 2C6 DE@C65 7@C J62CD 27E6C 36:?8 F?4@G6C65]k^Am
kAmQ(9J 5@?VE H6 <?@H E96 6I24E ?F>36Cn q642FD6 E96:C 3@?6D 2C6 @7E6? 52>2865[ 7C28>6?E65 W@CX 3FC?65 E@ E96 A@:?E E92E 2 s}p AC@7:=6 42??@E 36 E2<6? 7C@> E96>[Q :?DE:EFE6 7@C6?D:4 2?E9C@A@=@8:DE s:E@C w2=:E: D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ Vp A=246 E@ AFE 2 7=@H6CV \k^9am
kAm}2I9:;6 sFD9:[ H9@D6 3C@E96C }2K>: H2D 235F4E65 5FC:?8 2 $6C3:2? A@=:46 @A6C2E:@? :? `hhh[ :D DE:== D62C49:?8 7@C 2?DH6CD]k^Am
kAmQx ?665 E@ <?@H 2E =62DE H96C6 9:D 3@?6D 2C6[ E@ 4CJ 2?5 E2=< E@ 9:> =:<6 x FD65 E@ H96? 96 H2D 2=:G6[Q E96 e_\J62C\@=5 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6C 3C@E96C[ E96? ab[ H2D E2<6? 3J $6C3:2? 7@C46D 2=@?8 H:E9 96C ae\J62C\@=5 4@FD:?[ |2D2C[ 2?5 ?6G6C D66? 282:?]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D 9@A67F=[ H96? 6I42G2E:@?D C6G62=65 |2D2CVD 3@5JÂ :? a_ac[ E92E }2K>: H@F=5 2=D@ 36 7@F?5]k^Am
kAmqFE 96 C6>2:?D >:DD:?8]k^Am
kAmxE E@@< 2C@F?5 EH@ J62CD 7@C D4:6?E:DED E@ 4@?7:C> 96C 4@FD:?VD :56?E:EJ]k^Am
kAmqFE H96? 96 H2D 7:?2==J 3FC:65 :? z=:?2 =2DE >@?E9[ 2=@?8 H:E9 EH@ @E96C G:4E:>D[ :E H2D H:E9 DE2E6 9@?@FCD[ E96:C 42D<6ED 5C2A65 :? 7=28D H:E9 2 >:=:E2CJ 6D4@CE]k^Am
kAmz=:?2 >2J@C +6?F? t=6K2;[ DA62<:?8 2E E96 7F?6C2=[ D2:5 E96 3FC:2= 82G6 @?=J 2 D>2== 3FE :>A@CE2?E C6DA:E6 E@ 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAmQxE ;FDE 8:G6D 72>:=:6D 2 A=246 E@ AFE 2 7=@H6C 7@C E96:C =@G65 @?6D[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ &?362C23=6 H2:E:?8 \k^9am
kAm$6C3:2 92D ?6G6C C64@8?:D65 E96 :?56A6?56?46 @7 z@D@G@[ :ED 7@C>6C AC@G:?46[ 2?5 C6=2E:@?D 36EH66? E96 EH@ C6>2:? DEC2:?65]k^Am
kAmx? y2?F2CJ[ 3@E9 4@F?EC:6D 28C665 E@ 2 ;@:?E 4@>>:DD:@? E@ 2446=6C2E6 E96 D62C49 7@C H2C >:DD:?8]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E9:D[ v2C2 D2:5 q6=8C256 C6>2:?65 C6=F4E2?E E@ D92C6 C6=:23=6 :?7@C>2E:@? E92E 4@F=5 96=A 7:?5 >2DD 8C2G6D]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 5:C64E=J C6=2E65 E@ E96 =24< @7 H:==:?8?6DD @? E96 $6C3:2? D:56 E@ AC@G:56 52E2 7C@> E96:C 2C49:G6D[ 6DA64:2==J E96 >:=:E2CJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C :ED A2CE[ $6C3:2 244FD6D z@D@G@ @7 2 =24< @7 :?E6C6DE :? D62C49:?8 7@C >2DD 8C2G6D 4@?E2:?:?8 $6C3 G:4E:>D]k^Am
kAmu@C E9@D6 H9@ 5@?VE <?@H H96C6 E96:C =@G65 @?6D 2C6[ E96 D=@H AC@8C6DD :D 6I4CF4:2E:?8]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D H2:E:?8 :D F?362C23=6[Q D2:5 zC6?52=:]k^Am
kAm}@H 2 C6E:C66[ 96 2EE6?5D 6G6CJ 6I42G2E:@? 96 42? :? E96 564256D\=@?8 D62C49 7@C 9:D F?4=6 #2>252? 3FE 762CD :E 4@F=5 E2<6 J62CD >@C6]k^Am
kAmQx 5@?VE 92G6 >F49 E:>6 E@ H2:E]Qk^Am
kAm:9^2=^8:=k^Am
