President George Bush flew to Kosovo yesterday to calm fears of an early withdrawal of American troops and warn the territory's ethnic Albanians not to forfeit Western support with revenge attacks on the Serb minority and violence in Macedonia. "We must not allow difference to be a license to kill, and vulnerability an excuse to dominate," said Mr Bush.
Hours later, however, nationalist mobs went on an anti-western rampage through the Macedonian capital after the government there launched its toughest ever attack on NATO, accusing the alliance of backing ethnic Albanian rebels to "turn Macedonia into an international protectorate" under its control. Meanwhile, fighting inside Macedonia between government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels grew more intense.
Rioters stoned the Germany embassy, broke the windows of a McDonald's and a British Airways office and torched vehicles of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Although his helicopter dash to the giant base, called Camp Bondsteel, was billed as a morale-boosting visit to US troops, the President's failure to invite any of Kosovo's Albanian politicians to meet him was a calculated snub and an effort to be even-handed now that Serbia, the nominal sovereign power in Kosovo, has a democratic government.
In a written statement, handed out during his 3 1/2-hour visit, he told Kosovo's Albanians not to aid the gunmen in neighbouring Macedonia where a NATO-brokered ceasefire is close to collapse. "Let me be clear: the United States stands against all who use or support violence against democracy and the rule of law. Those here in Kosovo who support the insurgency in Macedonia are hurting the interests of ethnic Albanians throughout the region. The people of Kosovo should focus on Kosovo," the President said.
His cool approach was in marked contrast to that of Mr Bill Clinton, who was seen as a hero by Kosovar Albanians for launching NATO's intervention.
Mr Bush yesterday pleased European diplomats by sticking to a formula on US participation crafted by Mr Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State. "American and allied forces came into Bosnia and Kosovo - we came in together and we will leave together," he said.
He said: "Our goal is to hasten the day when peace is self-sustaining, when local, democratically elected authorities can assume full responsibility and when NATO forces can go home," he said.
Macedonian forces and guerrillas exchanged heavy fire on the streets of Tetovo last evening after a day of rising tension. The rebels said they were ready to seize Tetovo today if government forces launched a major offensive against them.