BELGRADE (AFP) — Violence flared on the Kosovo-Serbia border on Thursday, when several hundred former Serbian army reservists angered by Kosovo's independence attacked police with stones and burning tyres.
As Italy joined other major European powers in recognising Kosovo and Serbs poured into Belgrade for a rally to protest against the independence declaration, the group attacked around 100 Kosovo riot police at the southern Serbian border crossing point of Merdare.
Serbian police estimated around 300 reservists were involved in the assault.
The violence was the latest in a series of incidents that followed Sunday's unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian-dominated parliament -- a move vehemently opposed by Belgrade.
Thick black plumes of smoke billowed from the border crossing and a NATO helicopter hovered overhead after the attack by the reservists, which lasted 20 minutes until they retreated.
The reservists, civilians who once served in the Serbian army, had crossed a Serbian checkpoint unhindered.
In another incident, a UN-run court was stoned overnight in the Serb-populated half of the tense northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica, police said.
On Tuesday, two other border crossing points at Banja and Jarinje were closed for 24 hours after they were ransacked and torched by at least 1,000 Serbs from Kosovo and Serbia.
The commander of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), General Xavier Bout de Marnhac, said leaders of Kosovo's minority Serb community were responsible for the incident.
Hardline Kosovo Serb political leader Milan Ivanovic hit back, calling KFOR "a servant of US interests" and accusing foreign forces of turning "Kosovo into a concentration camp."
The border attack was the most violent reaction to the unilateral break by Kosovo and marked the first intervention by KFOR -- made up of 17,000 troops from more than 30 countries -- since the independence declaration.
Meanwhile, convoys of buses and trains ferried people to Belgrade for a "Kosovo is Serbia" protest in front of the old Yugoslav parliament, which was expected to draw hundreds of thousands demonstrators.
Ėk Gusā Alhu Mėrā
The One Lord, the Lord of the World, is my God Allah.
Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Mahraaj Ji!
Kal Meh Bėḏ Atharbaṇ Hū Nā Kẖuḏā Alhu Bẖa.
In the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Atharva Veda became prominent; Allah became the Name of God.
The storming of the US embassy in Belgrade could be a prelude for a crackdown against moderates, pro-western Serb politicians warned today.
The defence minister, Dragan Sutanovac, of the EU-friendly Democratic party, described the violence that followed Kosovo's declaration of independence at the weekend as "one of Belgrade's saddest days".
He said rioters were encouraged by the support of some nationalist politicians for smaller attacks against western embassies and commercial interests in the city earlier in the week.
Several ministers and other top officials in nationalist prime minister Vojislav Kostunica's government, and leaders of the ultra-nationalist Radical party, had dismissed those attacks as "minor incidents."
Some 200,000 people attended yesterday's state-backed rally and officials said police were overwhelmed by the biggest march since protesters stormed the old Yugoslav parliament building in 2000 to oust nationalist leader Slobodan Milosevic.
But police were nowhere to be seen when scores of rioters - many wearing balaclavas - attacked the US embassy for the second time in a week. A charred body, apparently that of a rioter, was later found in the embassy.
Ėk Gusā Alhu Mėrā
The One Lord, the Lord of the World, is my God Allah.
Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Mahraaj Ji!
Kal Meh Bėḏ Atharbaṇ Hū Nā Kẖuḏā Alhu Bẖa.
In the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Atharva Veda became prominent; Allah became the Name of God.
Bosnia Serbs to Secede if Independent Kosovo Gains Recognition
The Parliament of the Republic of Srpska, the Serbian-populated part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, decided Thursday night it would secede if Kosovo gained wider international recognition.
According to the Parliament's decision independent Kosovo was precedent in recognizing the right of self-determination.
"Kosovo's self-declared independence created not just a dangerous precedent but also a new right, practice and principles", the PM of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik said, and added: "Europe has a double standard policy regarding Kosovo and Bosnia."
THIS IS GETTING MESSY!
Ėk Gusā Alhu Mėrā
The One Lord, the Lord of the World, is my God Allah.
Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Mahraaj Ji!
Kal Meh Bėḏ Atharbaṇ Hū Nā Kẖuḏā Alhu Bẖa.
In the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Atharva Veda became prominent; Allah became the Name of God.
The U.S. will almost always back any call for independence. It would by hypocritical for them not to. We are nation formed by declaring independence.
Didn't the South at one time try to declare independence?
The russians are afraid (and they should be) that recognition would embolden sepratists in their own county. The chinese too with their oppression in Tibet and threats against Taiwan.
Didn't the South at one time try to declare independence?
The russians are afraid (and they should be) that recognition would embolden sepratists in their own county. The chinese too with their oppression in Tibet and threats against Taiwan.
On the other hand, Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo. I guess it's because it was Turks who brought Islam to that part of Europe...
Didn't the South at one time try to declare independence?
The russians are afraid (and they should be) that recognition would embolden sepratists in their own county. The chinese too with their oppression in Tibet and threats against Taiwan.
Who's oppressed in Ottawa in Canada...?
Ėk Gusā Alhu Mėrā
The One Lord, the Lord of the World, is my God Allah.
Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Mahraaj Ji!
Kal Meh Bėḏ Atharbaṇ Hū Nā Kẖuḏā Alhu Bẖa.
In the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Atharva Veda became prominent; Allah became the Name of God.
You see, there are some nasty Frenchies in the region called Quebec who feel the federation tehy form with the English speaking Canada is an utter abomination...
Hi, wasn't talking about Canada though WTP had a good point.
I was responding to Keltoi's point about independence America being founded on independence. I was pointing out that in the 1860's the Southern US states announced independence which was opposed by the north.
You see, there are some nasty Frenchies in the region called Quebec who feel the federation tehy form with the English speaking Canada is an utter abomination...
Really? and you know this first hand? Sources would be great. Merci Beaucoup...
Ėk Gusā Alhu Mėrā
The One Lord, the Lord of the World, is my God Allah.
Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Mahraaj Ji!
Kal Meh Bėḏ Atharbaṇ Hū Nā Kẖuḏā Alhu Bẖa.
In the Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Atharva Veda became prominent; Allah became the Name of God.
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