U.S. says charred body found in Belgrade embassy

Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:44pm EST
 
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A charred body was found in the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade after protesters smashed their way into the building in anger at Kosovo's independence and set the building on fire, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that all American personnel at the embassy had been accounted for and there was nothing to suggest the body was an embassy employee.

McCormack could not say that all embassy personnel who were not U.S. citizens were accounted for.

William Wanland, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, told CNN the body appeared to have been a protester.

"It appeared to have been a protester who was caught in the fire," he said, adding that the death had not been caused by any interaction with U.S. security forces at the embassy.

Wanland said about 70 American diplomats served in the Belgrade embassy.

(Reporting by Sue Pleming, editing by David Alexander)

 

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