Protesters break into U.S. embassy in Serbia

Smoke was seen billowing from the building.

The embassy had been closed in anticipation of the demonstration. A spokesman for the State Department said there are no reports of any injuries to Americans, and only security personnel were present. Police were not protecting the building.

The attack came four days after Kosovo declared its independence. The United States recognized the new nation the next day.

There has been unrest in Kosovo since the independence declaration. Hundreds of Serbs have launched attacks on border outposts, prompting NATO to reinforce the northern Serb-dominated part of Kosovo and take control of the borders.

The violence has sparked fears of sustained violence, with Serbian officials saying the attacks were in line with its attempt to contest Kosovo's secession.

Ethnic Albanian separatists fought a 1998-99 war with Serbian forces, and an estimated 10,000 people were killed.

In areas of Kosovo where Serbs live surrounded by majority ethnic Albanians, Serb leaders urged Serbia's government to tone down statements or risk endangering lives.

"Serbs from the north have brought other Serbs in Kosovo in a position to fear for their children and their lives, which is a very painful feeling — the fear of what your own people might do," Kosovo Serb leader Rada Trajkovic was quoted Thursday as saying by the independent Serbian news agency FoNet.

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Damien said:

	Response to Fatos Fatos - This isn't "Orthodox Christian Fundamentalism". The church doesn't sanction or condone these attacks. Damien
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February 22, 2008
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Admirim said:

	... The Turkish Embassy was attacked as well: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=18454
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February 22, 2008 | url
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Fatos91711 said:

... These images are very disturbing. I think Orthodox Christian fundamentalism is something that should raise some fear and worries in the western world. We are trying to uproot Islamic fundamentalism, while turning a blind eye to Christian Orthodox fundamentalists in countries like Russia, Greece, and Serbia. We cannot afford another September 11. Any nation that expresses anger in such a uncivilized way should raise red flags. You cannot allow people to act like spoiled children becoming hysterical if they don't get something they want, whether they deserve it or not. What is so immoral in this case is that they want to rule a country whose population they tried to exterminate just 8 years ago. The western world should pull Serbia's ear and send a forceful response to these ugly government-encouraged events. There is no place in Europe for such a uncivilized and fundamentalist country.

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February 21, 2008
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H.P. said:

	... It's the obligation of the country who receives the embassy to protect that object. How is this possible that police were not protecting the building?
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February 21, 2008
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Joseph Horvath Jr said:

GREATER SERBIA A note to Serbians : The West has given in 1920 and the West takes away in 2008 !! The formalization of the Yugoslav Republic in 1920 was a travesty. The West, primarily driven by France, tore greater Hungary to pieces, giving its southern territories to Yugoslavia, integrating Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Bosnia, into an onholy Serb-dominated entity, under duress, with total disregard for the ethnic diversities. Tito managed to hold this unholy alliance together under force of arms, however, Yugoslavia disintegrated like a house of cards shortly after his death. Greater Serbia ceased to exist ! Note the nations that are against independent Kosovo : Romania, who was given Transylvania ( torn from Hungary) in 1920, also in fear of political unrest from the disenfranchised minorities, Spain in fear of the Basque movement etc. You cannot suppress freedom loving peoples demanding their rightful place in the community of nations.

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February 21, 2008
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