Posted on 02/22/2008 9:32:40 AM PST by SmithL
WASHINGTON, (AP) -- The U.S. ambassador to Serbia has asked the State Department to evacuate some diplomats from the embassy in Belgrade following an attack on the compound.
The envoy, Cameron Munter, has asked the department to implement an "ordered departure" for all nonessential personnel and the dependents of all American staff at the embassy, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. He said the request was being reviewed but that it would "likely be approved" on Friday.
There are between 80 and 100 Americans who work at the embassy but it was not clear how many of them or how many family members would be affected by the order.
Munter's request came as U.S. diplomats around the Balkans are on alert, girding for more anti-American violence after Serb rioters stormed and torched the Belgrade embassy causing as-yet undetermined damage and drawing fierce condemnation from Washington.
The declaration of independence by the former Serbian province of Kosovo has increased tensions across the region. And new mass demonstrations are expected following recognition of Kosovo by the United States and other Western countries.
At the same time, third-ranking U.S. diplomat Nicholas Burns called on Serbia's main ally Russia to repudiate a suggestion by one of its officials that it may need to use military force to earn respect after the U.S. and other countries recognized the independence of Kosovo, which is mainly ethnic Albanian, over strong Serb and Russian protests.
"We strongly advise Russia to be more responsible in its public comments toward Kosovo," Burns said, responding to questions in an online written discussion. "Russia is isolated this week — very few countries are supporting its position."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Time for Russian peacekeepers.
Nicky Burns is a sissy and a laughing stock in the Balkans.
There’s something terribly wrong when Russia takes the moral high ground while our own government is supporting the Islamic terrorist group.
I think we just bought a foster child forever. We recongized Kosovo which has almost zero natural resources and massive unemployment. With the ethnic tensions, we might be there over 100 years. I guess Mc Cain was right. Why do we do these things?
The only ones who say that the KLA are an Islamic terrorist group are the Serbs, and they have a big credibility gap with much of the West.
First, Russia never takes the moral high ground, ever. Second, who is the Islamic terrorist group you refer to? The KLA? The people of Kosovo? I believe there are many different religions existing in Kosovo.
“”We strongly advise Russia to be more responsible in its public comments toward Kosovo,” Burns said”
Too bad the US didn’t take this advice and we wouldn’t be in this mess.
One case is not a trend.
Only the people are not insane say that Kosovo is a new terrorist state.
...to die.
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