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Greater U.S. Military Involvement in Macedonia Possible
President Bush moved Wednesday to restrict the funds and mobility of ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia and left open the possibility of greater U.S. military involvement in the troubled Balkan country.
Later, a U.S. official said the president's remark, which came during a meeting with congressional Republicans, was made in the context of a NATO peacekeeping proposal for Macedonia.
The official, asking not to be identified, said the president wasn't trying to foreshadow an aggressive military action.
Under the plan, NATO would deploy a task force to oversee the voluntary disarmament of the Albanian rebels once an agreed cease fire is in place and there is a clear commitment by armed groups to surrender their weapons.
The United States is prepared to assist the process by providing command and control, communications, medical assistance and logistical support.
Earlier, Bush issued an executive order prohibiting, effective Wednesday, U.S. citizens from having financial or other types of commercial dealings with the ethnic Albanian rebels.
He also barred their entry into the United States.
Bush told reporters he has some evidence that the ``ethnic Albanian extremists are raising money not only in America but in Europe.''
He said the United States must not be a conduit for funds used in support of extremist activities that destabilize Macedonia's democratically-elected government.
There are about 700 U.S. troops in Macedonia ¡ª mainly providing logistical support for the American peacekeeping forces in neighboring Kosovo ¡ª but they had not previously intervened directly in the hostilities in Macedonia.
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