Storming of U.S. embassy in Serbia sparks outrage

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serb rioters enraged by Kosovo'ssecession stormed the U.S. embassy in Belgrade and set it onfire, leaving one person dead and drawing swift condemnationfrom Washington and the U.N. Security Council.

The U.S. State Department said the lack of protection forits mission -- police were absent when the attack began -- wasintolerable and demanded a response from the Security Council.

"The members of the Security Council condemn in thestrongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade,which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and haveendangered diplomatic personnel," the 15-member body said in aunanimous statement late on Thursday.

Embarrassed, Serbia said it regretted what it called actsof isolated vandals who did not represent a nation which, whilebitter at Kosovo's declaration of independence on Sunday, didnot want further violence.

"The acts that were committed are absolutely unacceptable,absolutely regrettable," Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic toldReuters in an interview. "They hurt Serbia's image abroad."

Germany, Croatia and Britain also said their missions werevandalised. Local media added Bosnia's and Turkey's to thelist.

Some 200,000 people attended the state-backed rally.Jeremic said police were overwhelmed by what was Serbia'sbiggest march since protesters stormed the old Yugoslavparliament building in 2000 to oust nationalist leader SlobodanMilosevic.

But police were nowhere to be seen when just a few score ofrioters -- many wearing balaclavas -- attacked the U.S. embassyfor the second time in a week.

A crowd of about 1,000 cheered "Serbia, Serbia" one rippedthe Stars and Stripes off its pole and others jumped up anddown on a balcony, holding a Serb flag. Smoke billowed out ofthe embassy as papers and chairs were thrown out of windows andburning doors were wedged in the frames.

American officials said only security personnel were at theembassy at the time, in a different area.

CONDEMNATION

Riot police arrived later and fired teargas to disperse thecrowds. A charred body was later found inside, probably of aprotester; the embassy said its U.S. staff were accounted forand Marines protecting it had not engaged in any fighting.

Hospital officials said around 150 people were injured instreet clashes, including 30 police and some journalists.

The Security Council said a 1961 Vienna Convention obligedhost governments to protect embassies, but also welcomed stepstaken by the Serbian authorities to restore order.

The council has been a battleground over Kosovo, withRussia refusing to accept Western moves to legitimise themainly Albanian region's independence after nine years as aU.N. ward.

The EU remains split, with members Slovakia, Spain, Cyprus,and Romania refusing to recognise Kosovo over concerns it mightset a legal precedent or issues with minority rights.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a strong critic of U.S.foreign policy, said Caracas would refuse to recognise Kosovo'sindependence, calling it dangerous U.S. meddling.

Serbia considers Kosovo its historic heartland and waged adiplomatic campaign against its secession on Sunday.

"As long as we live, Kosovo is Serbia," Prime MinisterVojislav Kostunica had told the state rally, where Serbs of allages listened to speeches and melancholic patriotic songs aboutKosovo, seen as the birthplace of a proud medieval kingdom.

Washington said Kostunica later pledged there would be norepeat of the attacks, but analyst Jon Levy of the Europe andEurasia think tank said tension would remain: "Additional actsof what is effectively political vandalism can be expected."

The Belgrade rioters also looted and vandalised shops andbanks, especially Western ones, leaving a trail of debris.

(Additional reporting by Ljiljana Cvekic in Belgrade, SusanCornwell in Washington; Editing by Michael Winfrey)