White House takes aim at Macedonian rebels

From John King
CNN Senior White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday imposed restrictions on ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia, who are blamed for violence against the government, the White House said.

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"Their violent tactics threaten U.S. and international efforts to promote regional peace and stability and pose a potential danger to U.S. military and other Americans supporting peacekeeping efforts," the White House said in a statement.

The actions by the president bar some ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia from entering the United States, and bar U.S. citizens from offering money to certain people "involved in violent and obstructionist actions."

The White House did not release a list of those covered under the president's executive order and travel restrictions.

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"We will use any means at our disposal to isolate these groups and individuals and cut their access to financial support," the White House statement said.

In Macedonia, government security forces shelled Nikustak, a village held by ethnic Albanian rebels in the northeast part of the country. The shelling could be heard from newly liberated Aracinovo as police units searched homes in that village, looking for any rebels who stayed behind after a withdrawal brokered by the European Union.