Posted on 02/21/2008 11:04:42 AM PST by 11th_VA
BELGRADE, Serbia - Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy Thursday and set fire to an office after a massive protest against Kosovo's independence that drew an estimated 150,000 people.
Masked attackers broke into the building, which has been closed this week, and tried to throw furniture from an office. A blaze broke out inside one of the offices and parts of the facade also caught fire.
Authorities drove armored jeeps down the street and fired tear gas to clear the crowd. The protesters dispersed into side streets where they continued clashing with authorities.
The neighboring Croatian Embassy also was attacked by the same group of protesters.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack strongly urged the Serbian government to protect the U.S. Embassy. He said the U.S. ambassador was at his home and was in contact with U.S. officials.
More than a dozen nations have recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence on Sunday, including the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
But the declaration by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership has been rejected by Serbia's government and the ethnic Serbians who populate northern Kosovo. Russia, China and numerous other nations have also condemned the declaration, saying it sets a precedent that separatist groups around the world will seek to emulate.
Kosovo, which is 90 percent ethnic Albanian, has not been under Belgrade's control since 1999, when NATO launched airstrikes to halt a Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. A U.N. mission has governed Kosovo since, with more than 16,000 NATO troops and KFOR, a multiethnic force, policing the province.
But Serbia and Kosovo's Serbs, who make up less than 10 percent of Kosovo's population refuse to give up Kosovo, a territory considered the ancient cradle of Serbs' state and religion.
Earlier Thursday, police estimated that about 150,000 people had attended a rally in the Serbian capital. The crowd waved Serbian flags and carried signs reading "Stop USA terror." One group set fire to a red-and-black Albanian flag.
The U.S. embassy in Belgrade burns after masked attackers broke into the building and set an office on fire at the end of a massive protest against Western-backed Kosovo independence, in the Serbian capital, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. More than 150,000 Serbs gathered at the rally vowing to retake the territory which is viewed as Serbia's religious and national heartland. (AP Photo)
“Applause”
Point well made and absolutely correct.
“It will cost Israel dearly.”
How’s that
I believe I was addressing the issue of other entities declaring themselves to be independent nations, since one of the other posters mentioned the Palestinians.
What happens if they declare independence and Egypt, France, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and a number of other nations recognize it as a sovereign nation?
Amazing how lacking in knowledge some posters here are.
Thanks for making the correction.
After that it makes a difference because we handed control of a country to a former terrorist, and to leadership who have taken zillions of dollars and not built a state or shown their intentions to do so. Instead they have turned Kosovo into a heroin trade center of the world, and a slave trading center as well. It is chechnya the second. A failed state. Rife with gangs and violence and corruption. Just ripe for the introduction of wahabi islam. Now we have pledged 300 million to keep supporting them.
It makes me literally ill to see our government doing this, and you know they KNOW what they are doing.
Hi, I am from Serbia and want to say something. First, all you say is correct and I am glad that there is people who understand at least something of this situation.
The main problem in Serbia and among people here is that we are very split in our attitudes and feelings. There is one half of people that is pissed off because that old wound is hurt again and there is second half that is pissed off of everything. And I am there. The point is I have 25 years and all that I remember from 1990th year is war, isolation of all world, wrong picture abroad about everything here, irrational people who run the country and fear. Fear of new isolation of hiperinfllation, of hate, of misery and moral and ethical break down of nation. And, of course, of USA intervention.
2000th year we have revolution and got new politic, opened to west countries and it is great. But, in the meantime, our premier Zoran Djindjic has been killed and whole proces of changing, in my opinion, were stagnated.
Of course, there is much better life now and freedom of speech is much better but these days that old wound has been
hurt again (Kosovo) and people feel pissed off again. And I dont like it at all. There was enough of blood to be spoiled again. And I believe majority of people is not for new war. But, America holds key of everything. If again they say that we are bad and dont behave enough, Im afraid it would provoke that Serbian spite again. And that is not good. I say again, they should support and understand us and not to isolate us again. It is not good for anybody.
I think you understand that I am pacifist and openminded and
all this situation try to accept rationally and want
rational solutions for everything.
And dont want you to think that all young people here are vandals like those who were set on fire and breaking their city(my city and that pisses me off the most). This demonstrations should send another message but I have no explanation for all. Time will give the answer. Just remember, if Bush shows more understanding for
Serbs, the level of spite will be lower.
And some historical facts: 1389th year, Serbs lost Kosovo and whole country, we were inside Otoman kingdom (Turkey) and we got our freedom in 19th century again(Albanian people are very similar to Turkish people. They are muslim.) Then, we were monarchy and Kosovo was part of country. Then, after World War 2, we become comunistic country and with some other countries made country named Yugoslavia. Then 1990th year, the rest you know. There were killing everywhere. And we still dont know who started the war.
Albanian people in Kosovo are actually immigrants from country
Albania, there were lot of them, they were loud and aggresive and in last 40 years lot of Serbs left Kosovo and continue life in central Serbia althour there were no real war till the end of the 20th century. After that, killing, killing everywhere and now fact is that there is really small number of Serbs in Kosovo who live in geto. And friend
ship with Russia exists because we have the same origin. But, there is again that split in attitudes, some of us think Serbia never had some help of Russia and some of us think we had.
I could say much more but hope this is enough to understand something.
Greetings from Serbia :)
Jelena
The US government bullies the world, us included.
Best wishes to you.
This is probably where I stop posting on this thread :) I would say that if the person wearing the cap is who I’m thinking it is...he’s not serbian lol... signing off.
Welcome Jelena. Hang in there.
Thanks.
I wish Gaza would declare independence or better still become Egypt’s problem.
Egypt and Jordan have made it abundantly clear, they don’t want them. Nobody does. Everywhere they have gone, they have caused trouble. Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt... and there may be a few others where they’ve caused trouble.
As for declaring their independence, I could only be a bad thing for Israel, unless they booted everyone out of it and took the land over in perpetuity.
Perhaps they should all make the Haj, refuse to leave, and become martyrs.
Heh heh heh, at least you’re aiming for the stars.
You can add Kuwait to that persona non gratis list.
Avigdor Lieberman believes in separation of Jews and Muslims, and I think he is correct. I don’t care where they go or who they go with. Just so they are not Israel’s problem.
Thanks. I believe in it too.
That’s Clark! LOL
If it were long-vanished, it probably would make no difference. The problem is that it is not "long vanished". Until they were recently destroyed, much of the buildings (churches, monasteries, etc) still existed. Are you saying that just because the government has changed or has suffered under external dominion (from Turks, Nazis, communists) that people lose their property rights?
Serbia is the only existing nation that can even come close to making a non-fiat claim on Kosovo; the previous owner (Byzantium) gave it to them for services rendered. Since that time they have inhabited it (despite various external governments, all villainous, with sufficient might to "rule" over them), even though they aren't the current majority due to over a century of ethnic cleansing and forced muslim displacement.
Also, the Serbian empire was a polyglot state (as empires usually are) - its people were not all ethnic Serbs.
Texas is not all Texian (it never has been; there were Tejano defenders at the Alamo). Does that mean that, when the inevitable consequences of the current immigration in a decade or so result in a Mexican majority, that the United States claim on Texas is no longer valid?
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