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)
They have one. It's called Albania. And I suspect that most of the Muslims living in Kosovo will either be dead or living in Albania by this time next year.
Look at the hold ‘Slam has in France!!!
Welcome to FreeRepublic. And, a number of us are already aware of your thoughts.
“If we can’t stand up to Iran what makes you think we can stand up to Russia? “
There is a reason why no one paints about the themes Norman Rockwell did anymore.
Do you think someone like Teddy Roosevelt, Washington, or Eisenhower would stand a chance to be President today?
There is a reason why socialist dogma is preached as “the cure all” by those hoping to become President today.
We live in an America where you have hate crimes, affirmative action plans, and protected classes, basically creating special people with extra rights. Is that what the founding fathers, now referred to as the “Framers” wanted?
The pioneer spirit, the get it done mentality; the rough, tough Western American is dying. Guns are evil, gays are cool. A law and court will manage your family affairs, personal responsibility is gone. In fact you as an individual should not even have the right to self defense anymore according to our intellectual friends. People today look inwards, people 100 years ago looked outwards. Do we still care to go further into space, or know what the atmosphere on Titan is? Today we want to cocoon ourselves and are concerned about what some European leach of a nation thinks of us. Years past we spoke of a “manifest destiny.” Today we talk of multiculturalism, in the past we spoke of a melting pot. This nation was to be “Under God,” where your rights are God given to you, today in 2008 (CE- Common Era, which has replaced AD) we want separation of church and state.
How American is America?
Well, I can certainly understand it. I don’t think the destruction of the Embassy was right, by any means, and I hope strong Serbian voices come out and say so. But at the same time, this whole thing was so sudden and seemed to happen with no announcement, no discussion, no nothing, that I can see why the response is so enraged.
Anybody know what percent of Kosovo's population was Serbian before 1999?
It’s the fault of the traitorous State Department, fueled by the media and its barrage of lies about everything.
“Everybody” but Americans !...grrrrrrrrr...:0(
And we're paying the bills, now, just how skrewd up is that...................
you got that right
Muslims, the left and the media
it was karl marx who said that the way to spread their view is not by force all the time the people have to get themselves into positions ofm power like teachers etc so they can pass their views on to the young.
seems like they are still doing it
I saw a sticker saying clinton lied no one died
Now lets get this right, first they said he never lied but now they say he did but no one died, well did they forget the ethnice cleansing, they forgot the serbs who died while fighting the radical muslims are supposedly enemies, they forget he Iraqi’s, sudenese, rangers, and many more around the world
seem slibs have a very one way mind and a thick one at that too
Of course they did. This is Russia just trying to stir up trouble as usual.
A hold I'm afraid that can't be broken.
Before I became American the legal way I might add I can tell you that many muslims are onvading England and the head of the church of England said it be a good idea to allow some of sharia law
the man is a fool.
I cpould go on about my old country but won’t for i would make my fingers very tired
Dalipro,
Read through the thread and you will see that many here understand history and the situation in Serbia and actually support the Serbs and oppose our government’s recognition of Kosovo. Many here know Kosovo is Serbia’s cradle and its holy land. We pray for justice for the Serbs and others in this complicated battle. We are in this together, my friend.
Thanks Bush, you have just imported a jihad base into Europe. But it made the Saudi’s happy.
The US is in the wrong here.
The process by which a European political engine drives an American military force is an abomination that must be ended. Let them fight their own wars... for once.
When I see posters on FR calling for 'Condi for president', it makes me want to vomit.
The media, pfft, the media wouldn't know the truth if it sawed their heads off with a rusty, dull knife.
And we’re paying the bills, now, just how skrewd up is that...................
~~~
Very,,,
Just wait till the UN gets into this...
I believe at one time not too ling ago it was 90% and I think when the serb army went in due to the radical albanian muslims then the serb population was about 60%.
after the war which clinton helped to ethnically cleanse a country for the muslims then another 200,000 fled of course no christina ammanpour was there to film and report that.
mmmmmmm
so now there is just under 10% left
I was there based there with sfor and the serbs are living in fear, the serbs have been driven fromtheir homes, their houses have been taken away , churches have bene burned some as old as 800 years old and yet now Bush rewards radical islam and I thought we was supposed to be fighting that
Hooray!
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