U.S. ambassador: This better not happen again

U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade Cameron Munter today spoke about incidents that took place Thursday. A group of rioters broke off from the main protest in the capital three days ago, to attack and set on fire the U.S. embassy. U.S. ambassador: This better not happen again One person, a 21-year-old Kosovo Serb driven out of the province in 1999, whose family now resides in Novi Sad, was found dead at the premises. Today, the AP says, Munter "expressed outrage and demanded that Serbian leaders prevent any more violence against diplomatic missions." Ambassador Cameron Munter also criticized Serb political leaders who have defended the riots as a "legitimate" form of protest over Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration, which the U.S. enthusiastically supported. "That kind of incendiary language ... is not only wrong but it is an embarrassment, and it is leading further to the diplomatic isolation of Serbia, which is in nobody's interest," Munter told the agency. His remarks came a day after several Serbian officials blamed the U.S. for violence by Serb protesters. "The United States is the main culprit ... for all those violent acts," Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic said Saturday. "I'm very angry at what happened," Munter said of the riots. "It had better not happen again," he was quoted by the AP. Munter said that the victim of the unrest, Zoran Vujovic, "had not come into contact with embassy security." "He tragically died as a result of the fire set by the attackers," the ambassador said. Serbian officials on Saturday released the identity of the man, but did not give any details about the circumstances of his death. On Friday, the State Department ordered the evacuation of embassy staff families and non-essential workers, and Munter said they would return when Serbia assured it could safeguard the diplomatic property. However, the ambassador said he had no plans to leave Belgrade. Serbia has withdrawn its ambassador from Washington. The U.S. Embassy evacuated dependents, nonessential staff and diplomats several times during Slobodan Milosevic's rule in the 1990s, including just before NATO launched a 70-day aerial bombing campaign in 1999, the AP reminded.

U.S. ambassador: This better not happen again

One person, a 21-year-old Kosovo Serb driven out of the province in 1999, whose family now resides in Novi Sad, was found dead at the premises.

Today, the AP says, Munter "expressed outrage and demanded that Serbian leaders prevent any more violence against diplomatic missions."

Ambassador Cameron Munter also criticized Serb political leaders who have defended the riots as a "legitimate" form of protest over Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration, which the U.S. enthusiastically supported.

"That kind of incendiary language ... is not only wrong but it is an embarrassment, and it is leading further to the diplomatic isolation of Serbia, which is in nobody's interest," Munter told the agency.

His remarks came a day after several Serbian officials blamed the U.S. for violence by Serb protesters.

"The United States is the main culprit ... for all those violent acts," Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić said Saturday.

"I'm very angry at what happened," Munter said of the riots. "It had better not happen again," he was quoted by the AP.

Munter said that the victim of the unrest, Zoran Vujović, "had not come into contact with embassy security."

"He tragically died as a result of the fire set by the attackers," the ambassador said.

Serbian officials on Saturday released the identity of the man, but did not give any details about the circumstances of his death.

On Friday, the State Department ordered the evacuation of embassy staff families and non-essential workers, and Munter said they would return when Serbia assured it could safeguard the diplomatic property.

However, the ambassador said he had no plans to leave Belgrade. Serbia has withdrawn its ambassador from Washington.

The U.S. Embassy evacuated dependents, nonessential staff and diplomats several times during Slobodan Milošević's rule in the 1990s, including just before NATO launched a 70-day aerial bombing campaign in 1999, the AP reminded.