Serbs vent their fury against US diplomat
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Vukovar - Angry Serbs cursed the US ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright, and her motorcade was stoned when she toured the last Serb- held area of Croatia yesterday.
The incident happened when Ms Albright, whose outspoken approach has led Serbs to consider her their biggest American enemy, took a walk on the streets of Vukovar, a Serb-held town in eastern Croatia, which was shelled into ruins by the Yugoslav army in late 1991.
Angry Serbs shouted: "You bitch", "Go back to Croatia", and "You fascist", when Ms Albright reached an open-air market in Vukovar. She soon returned to her car as the crowd started stoning the motorcade. Two windows were broken in one of the cars accompanying Ms Albright's. There were no injuries.
Ms Albright played down the incident, saying it did not reflect the general atmosphere, and that the leadership is still committed to the peace process.
Vukovar and the surrounding area is to be peacefully handed back to Croatia within two years, according to an agreement reached last year.
Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday that a suspected mass grave has been found in a deep cave in north-west Bosnia, near one of the worst Serb death camps. Investigators say it could contain the remains of up to 120 Muslims and Croats.
To conceal the grave, someone threw the bodies of animals and rubbish on top of the human remains and set off an explosion at the cave, a Bosnian war crimes researcher says.
The Bosnian government war crimes committee, which found the site, near the village of Lusci Palanka, said the animal remains were a ploy by the Serbs to mask the cave's horrors.
A videotape shows the inside of a deep cave containing piles of bones. One of the researchers was shown holding what he said was part of a human spine. Another Bosnian war crimes researcher, Refik Hodzic, said: "The problem is that the site of the cave has been ruined by a big detonation . . . by whoever tried to cover the traces of this crime," he said. The cave is near Omarska, one of the most notorious Serb-run camps during the war. The detention camp was closed in late 1992, following an international outcry over pictures of emaciated inmates. Experts say 11,500 people are still missing from Omarska.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments