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 -- riot police were nowhere to be seen when theattack began -- was intolerable and demanded the SecurityCouncil respond.

"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 Security Council said ina unanimous statement.

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 just a few score rioters -- many wearing balaclavas --attacked the U.S. embassy for the second time in a week,forcing their way in while police were nowhere to be seen.

One man climbed up and ripped the Stars and Stripes off itspole. Other people jumped up and down on the balcony, holdingup a Serbian flag as the crowd below of about 1,000 peoplecheered them on, shouting "Serbia, Serbia".

Smoke billowed out of the embassy. Papers and chairs werethrown out of the windows, with doors wedged in the windowframes and burning. American officials said only securitypersonnel were at the embassy 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.

At the United Nations, the statement by the 15-nationcouncil recalled the inviolability of diplomatic missions butwelcomed steps by 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.

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 an analyst said tension wouldremain.

"Additional acts of what is effectively political vandalismcan be expected," said Jon Levy of the Europe and Eurasia thinktank.

The Belgrade rioters also vandalised shops and banks,especially Western ones, leaving a trail of smashed glass anddebris. There was some looting.

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