(AP) Czechs: we’re not Chechens
PRAGUE
A number of comments by Americans on social media mistaking the Czech Republic for the country of origin of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects_ ethnic Chechen brothers _ prompted the Czech ambassador to the United States to act.
In a statement posted on the embassy Web site, Petr Gandalovic said “the Czech Republic and Chechnya are two very different entities _ the Czech Republic is a Central European country; Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation.”
Gandalovic calls it “a most unfortunate misunderstanding,” but some responses on Twitter are less diplomatic.
Mirca Sekerova recommends Americans “open a geography book once in a while…stop blaming our country for this.”
And Petr Manda commented: “Well done, U.S. education system.”