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)
I wonder where the world would be today if Jimmy Carter had focused on the attack on the US embassy in Tehran.
As we all know, Jimmy decided to focus on the "deep issues" instead: strategic arms limitation talks, the Equal Rights Amendment, all that wonky stuff you like.
Thanks for the link AC...scary isn’t it?
Everyone needs to see it again
http://www.newamericancentury.org/balkans_pdf_04.pdf
“In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack strongly urged the Serbian government to protect the U.S. Embassy”
Just like the United States “protected” the Serbs vs. the Muslims, eh?
I wonder if, in return for protecting the embassy, the USA will offer assistance to the Serbs in “protecting” their sovereign borders, including Kosovo?
Fat chance. If I were the Serbs, I’d say, “let it burn”. And I say that as an American.
Actions have consequences. It is OUR actions - our refusal to support the Serbs against Islam - that are now “having consequences”.
- John
Amen!
Good link, thanks.
This is a wasteful foolish move by the Serbs in this stage of the game. They need USA, and they should want us
Bill Clinton pays homage to Al Queda memorial monument.
Well maybe we will do the same when their government recognizes Atlan or Hawaii when they declare their independence from the US?
None. They’re Christians and former allies from WWII. We always p!$$ on Christians and former allies.
Sorry, I didn’t see your post. He disagreed with Kosovar independence and has some amount of sympathy for the Serbs. He talked about the cold war mentality that got us in there. Said he sees us possibly having major probs there within 5 years time.
I believe they’re whistling past the graveyard. Dimwits they certainly are.
bookmark, very interesting list of names there.
Washington Times had a great editorial on it all yesterday.
I think it was called The Next Islamic Statelet?
Has it occurred to anyone here that we might have set this up ourselves, to take the focus of what Serb leaders had to say and how many Serbs showed up protesting this?
Because one second, there are Serb-positive headlines on the real planned peaceful protest (with support from Kusturica and Djokovic) and a great speech by Kustunica, and the next second it is all “US Embassy Burning”.
Given how underhanded this whole deal is, I wouldn’t put it past us.
So what?
Did someone post the article here?
I read the Serb police took 45 minutes to respond. Oh darn.
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.