Serbian President Calls for End to Violence
By VOA News
22 February 2008
Serbian President Boris Tadic has called for an end to violence after rioters opposed to Kosovo's declaration of independence Thursday attacked the U.S. and other embassies in Belgrade.
Mr. Tadic Friday also called an emergency meeting of Serbia's top security body, the National Security Council, saying there is no excuse for violence.
Police detained about 200 people in connection with the violence that left one person dead and at least 130 injured. The U.S. ambassador also recommended that all non-essential U.S. personnel and dependents leave the country.
Earlier, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica expressed regret over the attacks, warning they could harm Serbia's efforts to maintain control of Kosovo.
The United States Thursday formally protested to Serbia about inadequate security at the American Embassy after demonstrators angered by U.S. support for Kosovo's declaration of independence attacked and partly burned the building.
Firefighters doused the flames, but afterwards found a charred body. Embassy officials believe it was one of the protesters.
The demonstrators also set fires and threw stones at the Croatian Embassy, torched a guardhouse at the German mission, and burned a car outside the British Embassy.
The attacks followed a larger and mostly peaceful protest had drawn over 150,000 people who were expressing their anger over Kosovo independence.
Meanwhile, Serbian protesters briefly clashed with police in the divided northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica Friday, hurling firecrackers at officers at a key bridge over the river separating its Serb and ethnic Albanian areas.
Kosovo police also stepped up security on the Kosovo-Serbian border after clashes earlier this week in the area.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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