U.S Embassy In Belgrade,Kosovo Set On Fire By Rioters

[Will]

Watching this on news, shits crazy

[Will]

BELGRADE, Serbia - Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy Thursday and set fire to an office after a large protest against Kosovo's independence that drew an estimated 150,000 people.
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Masked attackers broke into the building, which has been closed this week, and tried to throw furniture from an office. A blaze broke out but firefighters swiftly put out the flames.

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 said the U.S. ambassador to Serbia was at his home and in contact with U.S. officials.

Serbia has "a responsibility now to devote the adequate resources to ensure that that facility is protected," McCormack said.

The protesters appeared to have been in the Embassy's consular building area, McCormack said. U.S. security officials and Marine guards were in a separate part of the compound, the chancery, but no staff were present at the Embassy, he said.

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.

[revnecro1273]

why couldn't they have waited til september when i will be in beograd...would have been interesting to see that first hand

[The Judge]

Masked attackers broke into the building, which has been closed this week, and tried to throw furniture from an office.

How the f*ck does an American Embassy close for a week? Aren't Marines stationed at the entry of every one of our embassies?

[Lukester]

Originally Posted by The Judge

How the f*ck does an American Embassy close for a week? Aren't Marines stationed at the entry of every one of our embassies?

Yes, but they may have been forewarned on the excessive swarming of the rallyers--150,000 rallyers to 24 marines is not a good idea.

[Wellahiya]

great thread title!

[Lukester]

Originally Posted by Lukester

Yes, but they may have been forewarned on the excessive swarming of the rallyers--150,000 rallyers to 24 marines is not a good idea.

...and besides, they would have to protect follow the Ambassador/Staff and protect them wherever they go in the meantime.

[Lukester]

Originally Posted by eekchac

great thread title!

Educate me: Former Yugoslavia is Serbia/Croatia/and Montenegro? (only 3?)

Belgrade is the Capital of Serbia. We pretty much all know that.

Kosovo is a small territory? or a "super large city"?

What is pertinent to know here?

[Lukester]

Agree or not, it's hitting home. Why? Why bring the BS here. The majority has nothing to do with this nor do they care. Yet we might pay the price cuz the government does not "accept" the outcome. Go figure...the Rights are given to the wrong people in the wrong Hemisphere to the opposite cause! The party I voted for has their hands tied cuz the previous party pinned the Rules.



Serbian Canadians to protest Kosovo independence in weekend marches:
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Sat Feb 23, 11:42 AM


By The Canadian Press

TORONTO - Serbian Canadians plan to take to the streets of several cities over the next couple of weekends to protest Kosovo's move to declare independence from Serbia.

Opponents of Kosovo independence plan a candlelight march on the U.S. consulate in Toronto this evening and organizers are urging demonstrators to keep it peaceful.

Nick Giacobbe, a spokesman for the American consulate, says officials have been in touch with the Mounties and Toronto police about protecting the legation, which he says is the responsibility of the RCMP.

Giacobbe says the "protection of life and limb" is the No. 1 priority but no one will be in the consulate, which will be closed Saturday.

But he admits the consulate is concerned, noting that back in 1999 during a Serbian protest, demonstrators threw a Molotov cocktail into the consulate building in Toronto, and Giacobbe says that was a learning experience.

On Sunday, protests are scheduled in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery and at Montreal's McGill University and organizers are urging demonstrators to bring Canadian and Serbian flags to wave. Next weekend, protests are set for Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.

[revnecro1273]

Originally Posted by Lukester

Educate me: Former Yugoslavia is Serbia/Croatia/and Montenegro? (only 3?)

Belgrade is the Capital of Serbia. We pretty much all know that.

Kosovo is a small territory? or a "super large city"?

What is pertinent to know here?

it is a territory to the south near albanian border (i do believe)...fyr included those as well as bosnia and herz

[Lukester]

Originally Posted by revnecro1273

it is a territory to the south near albanian border (i do believe)...fyr included those as well as bosnia and herz

ok..and yes I did forget Bosnia and Herzegovina in there.

And u are going to teach ESL there in September? They are a closely knit people and very nice. But better u than me. I'll stay in my closet, travel through the internet and pretend I know something.

[revnecro1273]

Originally Posted by Lukester

ok..and yes I did forget Bosnia and Herzegovina in there.

And u are going to teach ESL there in September? They are a closely knit people and very nice. But better u than me. I'll stay in my closet, travel through the internet and pretend I know something.

naw man...no working for me...i am retiring from work for a few years come 32 days from now...i am enrolling at a uni in beograd

[Wellahiya]

i refered just to the thread title, as KOSOVO has just 1 thing to do with the riots and Belgrade/Seriba

it's the fact that they protested violently against Kosovo's indepency...

Kosovo is in the far south west at the albanian border... belgrade is situated in the north, close to the border

it was just funny as it seemed to me, that the riots were IN Kosovo in the former capital of 'Serberia'