War Hero or Villain Kosovo's Former President on Trial

Paris - Nearly a quarter-century after Kosovo's brutal war for independence, its former president and guerrilla leader Hashim Thaci pleaded not guilty to war crimes charges Monday, as a trial kicked off in the Netherlands that some believe could impact a recent deal to normalize relations between Pristina and its longtime nemesis Serbia.

Wearing a dark pinstripe suit, 54-year-old Thaci appeared at the Kosovo Spec