That is an all out attack.On MSNBC, I saw what appear to molotov cocktails being thrown through windows. The Serb Riot Police appears to be making a half-hearted effort to quell the riot. If they get into the interior of the embassy, I am presuming that the Marines will open fire to defend the embassy personnel. This is serious.
Yeah, I have read that they cleared the place out, but that does that mean just embassy staff, or are there still Marines to guard the embassy?
The Serbs should be tamping down this ****. That is their responsibility as the host nation. Correct me if I am wrong, but the Marines can only use force if overrun?
Fie serbs are angry the USA recognized kosovo's independence. Serbs thinks kosovo should remain a part of serbia
I haven't been following this issue the last few years but it appears that only the NATO presence has kept the majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and the minority Serbians from killing each other. Based on the articles I just read it seems that the 2 sides are essentially segregated by NATO. Having 2 separate countries may be the only way to eliminate the permanent NATO presence there which is why the primary NATO members are lining up to recognize Kosovo independence. Based on the Serbian response it appears war again is imminent.
According to Fox News, the embassy staff is not in the building, but the contingent of US Marines IS there in another section of the compound.
I don't understand why marines would be the only people there. It'd be better to hire local security for an empty building since it is so complicated to use American forces in these situations. If this got out of hand, how would we support them?
It sounds like the Marines are in no danger and that they won't engage the rioters unless they are. As for support for the embassy marines, the US through its Nato obligations still has military forces in Kosovo. I imagine that air support could be minutes away if requested. For the most part, embassy duty is a posh job for a Marine. However, the risk is that you will drawn into some political firestorm like this. They signed up for it, they have been trained on how to handle it.
Marines are posted at every US foreign embassy, it is considered US soil so the marines are stationed to defend it.
It looks like the protestors got distrcted by something shiny and a Big Mac from Breitbart: Groups also broke into a McDonald's restaurant and demolished the interior. A number of other shops were also ransacked and people were seen carrying off running shoes, track suits and other sporting goods from a department store.
From what I understand, the Marines in an embassy have a decent arsenal -- some heavier machine guns, grenades, etc. And as the facility can be made into a decent fortification in most cases, they can hold off a mob for a fair amount of time, in case of a frontal attack. And the mention above of nearby NATO forces is an important one -- I would be shocked if there wasn't air support currently in the air, loitering and ready for the word. A few F-16s flying cover, a couple of Apaches underneath to clear the streets, and a few Blackhawks to pick up the Marines. I'm going to guess that this scenario has been gamed by the boots on the ground a few times. And to top it all off, the Serbian government isn't dumb enough to pull an Iran 1979 maneuver. They'll stop it before it becomes an actual assault to take the embassy.
Greetings. Yes, this is one of my old haunts, up until September. I have been to the Embassy in Belgrade several times to conduct inspections and to run drills exactly like this one. The Marines are ready for this kind of ****. Trust me. To clarify a few things...... Marines are authorized deadly force under standard rules of engagement set by the DOD. If there life is in danger, inside the embassy, they can use deadly force. They also have several non-leathal options for other threats. The Commbatant Commander (in this case EUCOM) is responsible for security outside the embassy. Most likely he would call a Marine force off of a nearby ship (MEU) or a FAST platoon/company from nearby (Spain/England). In this case, local police handled it. I wouldnt doubt a US force is sent in soon though. The Marines primary mission is to protect classified material. As the news said, they were in another section of the building (which is much more secure) and if breached, might have used deadly force. They would also destroy any material in that seciton of the building as required. It is possible they were already doing that in this case. Local nationals could not protect that area of the building. They are not allowed access under any circumstances. The Marines cover this part 24/7/365. There are a lot fewer Marines there than Mac's estimate. The Bourne movies do a lousy job portraying what Marines do there. The job can be super super boring most of the time, but I bet they were excited tonight. Finally got to do what they are trainined to do. I am sure they did an outstanding job. The Detachment there is full of very professional guys.
f**k the Serbs. I consider this an attack on U.S. soil. We should treat these people as terrorists and hunt them down and destroy them. Just because this happened in a European country and not in the Middle East doesn't mean that the Serbs should get a free pass. We cannot tolerate this kind of attack.
How do embassies usually work? Can a host nation by treaty close down an embassy and take back the land?
If anyone hasn't visited an embassy you should. You won't get AustinOrange's understanding of the situation but it's still pretty interesting to get a sense of the security. The only one I've seen was the one in Moscow. as you might guess it was something else.
