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)
If a person were supportive of the war, at least they could hang their hat on that. If not, Bush has been one of the worst presidents we have ever had. I would argue that despite the war in Iraq, Bush has been both cavalier with his implementation of conservatism as well as his implementation of homeland security. As citizens are submitted to cavity exams at airports, he still allows 70,000 people from the nation who brought us 09/11, to reside in our nation via the same education visas that brought that attact to our soil. And then there’s our southern border.
You’ve really got to wonder what drives that sort of mentality (and I admit I am using that noun rather loosely).
I am dumb founded that so many Americans have been duped into thinking that it was the albanian muslims who are the pones who just suffered
It was they who had started this, it was they who treid to take kosovo away from the serbs, it was they who terrorised the serbs to take the country away from them, it was they who have been still trying to take the country away from the serbs and it was they who have destroyed historic churches etc
Yet Clinton and wesley clark sit pretty with some Americans who have no idea the real picture there
Just because christina ammanpour repoirted the albaninas leaving fromt he serbs, well where was she wehn the muslims were doing this to the serbs on the other hand.
If Americans got to know what is really going on they too would be outraged that we helped to ethnically cleanse Kosovo.
Bin laden must be laughing his head off now another muslim country is set up in Europe
Amazing and I know I have said this but to think some Americans support this , even one on here because he got upset about the flag being burnt
Imagine having your country taken away from you by Muslims and then a super power comes in and says hey you will give that part of your country away to the muslims and we will be killing you until you do
And then that super power recognises your part of the country as a muslim country
This will only escalate more now the muslims and bin laden have seen Amercian weakness and gullibility
And if Bush keeps it up at his current pace we’ll end up with a whole damned Caliphate.
Excuse me, but you are wrong. Serbia didn't invade Kosovo. Kosovo has been part of Serbia for about 800 years. It was 90% Serbian until Hitler removed the Serbs and brought in Albanians, making the area majority Albanian. The removed Serbs lost everything when the Third Reich rounded them up and forced them out.
The KLA was financed and trained by the Albanian government. It was also partially manned by Albanian citizens. The Albanians and their puppets in Kosovo were the aggressors not the Serbs who were defending their country.
Not while I still have ammo. I ain't living under that murderous cult.
Supposedly the UN Security Council is going to be called into session to consider a resolution denouncing the violence and calling for the "rule of law" to be restored. It will be important to note what language that both the US and Russia will agree to, if any. That will indicate how much support Russia is prepared to give Serbia in any future confrontations.
Yes ... they are talking about what a big idiot the Archbishop of Canterbury is. Shariah is not coming to England. Or no quicker than it's coming to Texas, anyway.
Well..when you start giving away other people’s land-shameful behavior on the part of this government.
The Serbs died in the hundred of thousands as allies to the US in both world wars and this is how we repay them? We take part of their homeland and give it to the muslim terrorists?
God awful stuff. Sick and twisted.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say WW3, but I will say Cold War 2....or Cold War 2: The Reckoning :)
Right you are. Unfortunately, most Americans have been dumbed-down my popular media and government schools. As long as ‘American Idol’ is broadcasting they don’t know or care what is truely going on in the world.
After Kosove Britain took in loads of muslims albanians on the understanding they go back
what did they do , well they stayed and have slashed , raped and killed English men and women
. muslims everywhere are trying to take over the world and America is helping them to do it
stupidity at it’s finest, well done Bush ARF
his second term has disgusted me and this just caps it off for me now
muslim appeasment
we go to Iraq and lose many good men and women helping the muslims people, we now make them a country in Europe, rewarding them for burning churches, killing christians
utter stupidity
See post 200, just above. Hope that helps. Some “massacre”... more fauxtography by the muzzies.
LOL. Your source for the “real” history of the NATO-Serbia war is... Noam Chomsky??!!
Get a life, idiot.
It’s not hard at all to do so.....Kosovo is to the Serbs what Knin is to Croatians.
What this (Clinton and Bush) government did was an act of war: bombing innocent civilians in the 90s and then taking a part of their country and giving it away to terrorists?
I would burn down the embassy of that country too!
“There can be no doubt that Titos regime was the most stable period of the Balkan’s history.”
I am glad you mention this. Not all countries are ready for our (US) concept of democracy - there are dictators who made a positive contribution to the welfare of their country. Good examples are Franco for Spain and Pinochet for Chile. Without those two, their countries would have gone communist.
correct just look at the idiots voting in the nominationprocess, yes I mean the obama voters
They have no idea about him yet vote for him because the media says he is popular
AARRGGHHH
so wonder where else we can set up a country for the muslims,
You know nothing. Making a statement like that may bring some relief to you but it’s based on a lie.
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