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Peacekeepers say Serb leaders to blame for violence

NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo blamed Serb leaders there for attacks on border checkpoints, as Serbians prepared for yesterday's protest in Belgrade against Kosovo's independence.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile turned up the heat on the West for its "illegal" support of Kosovo independence, denouncing the EU "Rule of Law" mission there as a contradiction in terms.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters were expected in Belgrade for yesterday's "Kosovo is Serbia" rally.

Most Serbs bitterly oppose losing Kosovo, which they consider the cradle of their history, culture and Orthodox Christianity.

"We are struggling for what is legitimately ours. We will not tolerate this illegal act of secession," Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Jeremic nevertheless condemned the acts of destruction perpetrated by Serbians since the independence declaration.

"These are extremely regrettable, we do not support and we never sponsor violence in the region," he said.

In Kosovo itself, two border crossings with Serbia were reopened on Wednesday, a day after being set alight by Serbs angered by Kosovo's declaration of independence on Sunday from Serbia.

Without naming names, the commander of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), General Xavier Bout de Marnhac, held leaders of Kosovo's Serb community responsible for the incident.

"Some local leaders took a huge responsibility yesterday," the French general said. "The leaders should think deeply of their responsibility when they trigger this type of demonstration."

The border crossings at Banja and Jarinje were closed on Tuesday after at least 1,000 Serbs from Kosovo and Serbia ransacked and torched both sites.

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."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced the EU's 2,000-strong mission to Kosovo sent to train and mentor police, judges and customs officials.

"There is a bitter irony even in its name -- a mission to uphold the law in violation of the supreme law, international law," Lavrov said.

In Strasbourg, Jeremic told the EU Parliament's foreign affairs committee: "Relations between Serbia and certain members of the European Union have been compromised and I don't see how we can accelerate our efforts towards Europe."
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