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)
Thank you.
Absolutely! And why aren’t they? Because the mid east oil cartels and their servants on the left are running the show.
LOL -- you must be joking. There's no such thing as "war crimes" when the big-government globalists in the Bush administration are no different than the big-government globalists in the Clinton administration.
Notice any familiar names here?
Interesting. Thanks for the links.
Thanks I’m off to listen to him now
I ma so glad that at least some of us AAmericans have not been nrainwashed into thinking it’s alright to take away someones country to appease muslims
Eagleburger said this sets a very bad international precedent, where a country can be broken up in this way.
What’s he saying?
From a cold, rational perspective, you are indeed correct :)
Yes she was Albanian but albanian muslims they do not want her picture with a cross on it.
The EU as a whole hadn’t recognized it, and a number of EU countries are very unhappy about Kosovo and probably won’t recognize it, ever. Bush did this all on his own, without any reservations.
Probably Michigan. Dearborn already comes complete with mosques and loudspeakers.
No, it doesn't, but he'd rather have a few angry Serbs that have body bags coming home from a real war with the Albanians. Someone else will have to deal with the mess in the future!
Ain’t that the Gods truth.
Why do I think this will be Texas in a few years. The invaders push and push, the media shows up as the natives are reacting and then (NATO/US) BOMB THE CRAP OUT OF THEM for being so horrible.
LOL, buncha dimwits...
I don’t know if he got a call, but I definitely think he did it to curry favor with Muslims. Or he thought that would be the effect, at least.
He’s a smart guy and he’s right. In 5 years’ time, we could see huge problems there. Or less.
And Hamtranck, is that the spelling?
“But why? Why has Bush thrown us under the bus? And on the 2nd amendment as well...”
Because he’s a compassionate conservative.(code word for liberal)
You might be interested in Post #422.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.