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Protestors attack US Embassy in Belgrade
Angry Serbs broke into the US Embassy and set fire to an office on Thursday night as rioters rampaged through Belgrade's streets, following a day of mass protest against Western support for an independent Kosovo.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:41 February 22, 2008
- Image Credit: AP
- The US 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.
Belgrade: Angry Serbs broke into the US Embassy and set fire to an office on Thursday night as rioters rampaged through Belgrade's streets, following a day of mass protest against Western support for an independent Kosovo.
An identified burnt body was found in the embassy, but an embassy spokeswoman said the person was not a staff member, while more than 90 people were injured in clashes with Serbian police.
At least 150,000 people rallied in Belgrade, waving Serbian flags and signs proclaiming "Stop USA terror," to denounce the bid by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority to create their own state out of what Serbs consider the ancient heartland of their culture.
The UN Security Council strongly condemned what it called "mob attacks" and welcomed steps by Serbian authorities to restore order.
A unanimous statement was issued after the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, expressed outrage at the attacks and said he would demand that the council condemn them.
The statement said, "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."
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