For the Russians, U.S. recognition of Kosovo’s independence was tantamount to an international crime, and the burning of the United States Embassy in Belgrade by angry Serbs could hardly have been avoided. The New York Bureau Chief of Russia’s Novosti News Service, Dmitry Gornostayev writes, ‘It was somewhat ridiculous to hear the appeal by Deputy Secretary of State Nicholas Burns to the Serbs to respect international law. What is he talking about? He and his colleagues violated it themselves last Monday by recognizing Kosovo’s independence!’ In regard to the past two U.S. presidents and the larger issues of Yugoslavia and Iraq, he writes with a burning sarcasm, ‘If reduced to the terms of criminal law, these global actions at least qualify as robbery and murder. According to the laws of Arkansas and Texas – the home states of the past two U.S. Presidents – the crimes of launching illegal wars in Yugoslavia and Iraq would be punishable by the death penalty. But at the homes of these U.S. presidents no one behaves that way – they are decent gentlemen: they play the saxophone, ride bicycles, keep mistresses under the desk and at the very worst, they drop their bagels and ice cream on the couch. All with perfect decency. But once they go outside, you had better get out of the way.’
By Dmitry Gornostayev, Novosti’s New York Bureau Chief
Translated By Igor Medvedev
February 22, 2008
Russia – Novosti – Original Article (Russian)
When the burning of the American Embassy in Belgrade appeared on television along with armored personnel carriers (filled with Serb policemen bereft of any desire to disperse fellow Serbs with Molotov cocktails), I thought to myself: How long will it be until the Americans recall international law and the Vienna Conventions? [which safeguard the immunity of diplomats and embassies] … They remembered very quickly.
It was somewhat ridiculous to hear the appeal by Deputy Secretary of State Nicholas Burns to the Serbs to respect international law. What is he talking about? He and his colleagues violated it themselves last Monday by recognizing Kosovo’s independence!
It’s strange to hear words of indignation when the situation has developed exactly as he and his colleagues wanted it to. So Kosovo is a unique case, you say? Well isn’t the burning of the Embassy a unique response to Kosovo’s independence? There’s no need to draw any parallels or worry oneself … surely this exception won’t occur in other parts of the world – other embassies won’t be burned. As you say, this case is truly unique …Let’s look at this again. Having taken part in the annexation of part of a sovereign state, the United States is indignant that someone wanted to seize or even burn down part of its sovereign territory – namely the Embassy. So the U.S. State Department has appealed to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic immunity. But what about the U.N. Charter, which guarantees territorial integrity of sovereign states? Indeed, in recognizing the independence of Kosovo, Washington has openly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia. So why is it angry at a Serbian student who did a similar thing to the U.S. Embassy? Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
For Americans yesterday, it was certainly unpleasant and humiliating to watch the Stars and Stripes ablaze on TV, and Serbs raising a red, blue and white tricolor instead. But few Americans have seen Orthodox churches ablaze, cupolas with crosses detonated and Orthodox clergymen exposed to derision in Kosovo. CNN rarely reminds its viewers of Albanian atrocities.
It was interesting to observe how the events of yesterday changed the definition of what occurred in Belgrade. At first there was a “thousands-strong crowd” that somehow devolved into a “handful” of nationalists, although it was the same crowd. Oh, the Americans hate to admit they were wrong – after all, who does? But few have committed so many anti-democratic and inherently illegal actions in world policy as they have. …
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