Clinton cancels events after cop's death
DALLAS, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton canceled campaign events Friday after a Dallas police officer escorting her motorcade died in an accident.
"One of our motorcycle jockeys rounded the curb, hit the curb, and went down," said Lt. Vernon Hale, spokesman for the Dallas Police Department.
Police identified the officer as Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada-Tiada, 49, a 20-year veteran, the Dallas Morning News reported. The officer's motorcycle was near the rear of the Clinton motorcade.
"I'm devastated," Clinton, D-N.Y., said. "We are just heartsick."
Clinton canceled a rally at Fort Worth, saying it wouldn't be appropriate and apologized to supporters already at the site. She visited the officer's family and the police department instead.
Embassy to remove non-essential personnel
BELGRADE, Serbia, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department was asked Friday to approve the evacuation of family members and non-essential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Serbia.
Rioters protesting Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia torched the embassy Thursday, damaging the first two floors. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack Friday said no sensitive material was lost or stolen, CNN reported.
A burned body officials said is a protester was removed from the embassy.
U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter expressed disappointment with both police and security along embassy row when the rioting broke out and the response by some government officials.
People evacuated from Belgrade would be re-located to another country in the region, McCormack said. They could return to Serbia when the situation calms down. Core embassy functions will continue.
Undersecretary Nick Burns blasted Serbian officials, saying it "absolutely reprehensible" that security officials "melted away" as rioters stormed the embassy.
"They have a fundamental responsibility" to protect the embassy and its personnel, Burns said.
Burns said he told the Serbian prime minister that "he and his government would be held personally responsible."
The embassy was to be closed Friday and Monday while officials assessed damage, and was expected to re-open Tuesday.
EU suspends economic talks with Serbia
BRUSSELS, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The European Union has suspended talks on economic ties with Serbia after the U.S. Embassy was set on fire when anti-Kosovo demonstrations turned violent.
Seen as the first step to eventual EU membership, the union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said negotiations on establishing ties between Serbia and EU member countries were suspended until tensions eased over Serbia's reaction of Kosovo's declaration of independence, the Telegraph reported Friday.
Demonstrations against Kosovo's break from Serbia turned violent Thursday in Belgrade where groups of rioters vandalized several embassies on the city's Embassy Row, torching the U.S. Embassy. Non-essential embassy personnel and family members were ordered out of Serbia until the situation cools.
The U.N. Security Council issued a statement that "condemned in the strongest terms the mob attacks against embassies in Belgrade, which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and have endangered diplomatic personnel."
Secret Service says Obama rally was secure
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Secret Service Friday denied reports that security measures at a recent Barack Obama rally in Texas were relaxed or deviated from established plans.
Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said there was no order from the Secret Service to stop screening people going to the Obama rally Wednesday at Dallas's Reunion Arena. He said that the event's security plans didn't involve having each participant pass through a magnetometer, as may be the case at other events.
The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram reported that some police at the event expressed concern about people not passing through metal detectors.
"Any allegations to the fact that we had suspended screening or deviated from the original security plan would be entirely inaccurate," Zahren said.
Obama, D-Ill., spoke before some 17,000 supporters at the rally ahead of the March 4 primary election in Texas. There were no security-related incidents.
While stressing that security preparations are different for each venue and event, Zahren said officials were happy with the security plan for the rally at Reunion Arena and the way it was implemented.
"This in no way constituted a security lapse at this venue," Zahren said, adding that the security measures were developed with Dallas-area law enforcement personnel to "come up with a robust and comprehensive layered security plan that didn't rely solely on any specific countermeasure to secure the area."
Musharraf: Voting 'milestone' to democracy
WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The parliamentary elections in Pakistan Monday "was a milestone" in the country's history, President Pervez Musharraf wrote in a commentary published Friday.
Pakistan's transition to democracy -- after months of turmoil that included the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto -- "is essential to achieving reconciliation among our people," Musharraf said in an article published in The Washington Post.
Musharraf, whose party lost control of Parliament, said his government "worked tirelessly" to ensure the elections were "free, fair, transparent and peaceful."
Now Pakistan faces three tasks: defeating terrorism and extremism; building a stable and effective democratic government; and creating a solid foundation for sustained economic growth, Musharraf said.
"Because these goals are shared by the vast majority of Pakistanis, I am certain we can and will accomplish them," he wrote, "and I stand ready to work with the newly elected Parliament to achieve these objectives."
Musharraf, a U.S. ally in its fight on terrorism, said Pakistan's success "will require the continued support of the United States. I would ask Americans to remember that building democracy is difficult in the best of conditions ... ."
Late winter storm strikes northeast
NEW YORK, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A late winter storm slammed into the northeastern United States Friday, dumping heavy snow, fouling traffic and snarling airline schedules.
With spring less than a month away, snowfall up to 10 inches was expected in areas of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania with rain or sleet forecast in many areas Friday night.
The roads were slick and often snowpacked, making walking as difficult as driving in some cases. Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported. Officials urged everyone who could to say home.
Airline traffic took a big hit by the storm with flight after flight canceled or late, Close to 600 flights were reported canceled at New York's LaGuardia Airport by morning with delays up to three hours. Newark Liberty had 330 canceled flights in a morning report and flights were running five hours behind schedule.
Region roads were covered with spinouts and wrecks. An oil tanker overturned on a residential street in the New York suburb of Greenburgh and officials said accidents on the New Jersey Turnpike were too numerous to count.
In midtown Manhattan, New Yorkers picked their way gingerly along slush-covered sidewalks, wondering why a nearly snow-free winter would suddenly turn nasty
Even the horses had a bad time. The race card at Aqueduct was called off.
