One dead in Belgrade as attack upon US embassy condemned
Friday, 22 Feb 2008 09:56
Attack upon US embassy in Belgrade condemned
An attack upon the US embassy in Belgrade has been condemned by the United Nations security council and Washington.
The charred remains of one person – believed to be a protestor – were found in the vicinity of the mission, which was stormed by rioters and briefly set fire to.
More than 200,000 demonstrators had earlier taken to the streets of the Serbian capital to protest at international recognition of an independent Kosovo.
The former Serbian province declared unilateral independence earlier this week and has since been recognised by countries including the US, Britain, Germany and Italy.
Serbs consider Kosovo, in which ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities nine to one, as the historical heartland of their country.
Prime minister Vojislav Kostunica had addressed demonstrators at yesterday's rally with the words: "As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia... Kosovo belongs to the Serbian people."
He was answered with chants of "we will never give up Kosovo, never".
But the US state department has described the security provided to its embassy and the police presence at the state-backed protest as "intolerable".
And speaking to reporters on Air Force One as George Bush and Condoleezza Rice returned from a visit to
Africa, White House spokesperson Dana Perino said the US embassy "was attacked by thugs".
State department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington would hold the Serbian government "personally responsible" for the safety of its embassy employees.
Speaking to reporters, McCormack confirmed the burned body found in an unoccupied embassy room was "not an American".
In New York, a unanimous statement from the UN security council condemned the attacks upon missions in Belgrade, with the British, German and Croatian embassies also being targeted.
"The members of the security council condemn in the strongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade, which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and have endangered diplomatic personnel," the statement read.
Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama, which holds the rotating presidency of the council, said Belgrade was required to take "all appropriate steps" to protect embassy premises under the 1961 Vienna Convention.
The US embassy was singled out by protestors however, with more than 1,000 rioters forcing their way into the building itself, although marines guarding the secure premises of the mission were not forced to open fire.
Prior to declaring independence, Kosovo was administered by the UN after western troops drove out Yugoslav forces eight years ago.
Serbia's stance on its breakaway province has received strongest backing from Russia, while Spain and Slovakia have also refused to recognise the new state.