KOSOVO: BONDSTEEL CAMP: CLINTON ATTENDS THANKSGIVING (2)

English/Nat U-S troops on an American army base in Kosovo celebrated their Thanksgiving holiday early, to coincide with the visit of their President, Bill Clinton. In an address to the peacekeepers, Clinton paid tribute to the efforts to end ethnic cleansing in the Yugoslav province. He and his daughter, Chelsea then joined the soldiers for traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The arrival of President Bill Clinton at the massive Bondsteel base came two days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday back home in America. His visit was meant as a reminder to the soldiers that though far from home, they have not been forgotten. It is Clinton's first visit to Kosovo since an 11-week NATO air campaign following Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic crackdown on the ethnic Albanian majority in the province. The NATO force led to a Serb troop withdrawal five months ago. The U-S President was confronted with some of the conditions the peacekeeping troops have faced since then. One soldier said that in Kosovo it was inevitable that Clinton would get some mud on his shoes. Much effort was made to get the base into a suitable condition for the inspection by the commander in chief. The base movie theatre was completed early so that Clinton could meet troops, many of whom are nearing the end of their tours of duty. Engineers scrambled to put up a stage. A mural featured a map of Kosovo marked with a big circle noting Bondsteel's location. President Clinton thanked the 6-thousand strong troops for putting an end to the ethnic cleansing in the breakaway Yugoslav province. And he emphasised the role the soldiers could play in trying to combat the ethnic hatred in Kosovo. SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, US President The President's visit to Task Force Falcon in Kosovo was marked with the presentation of a trophy. Throughout the visit, Clinton received a warm reception. Morale among the U-S forces serving in the NATO-led peacekeeping mission is said to be high, with soldiers said to be aware of the importance of the humanitarian mission. The visit also provided the chance for the troops to get some photos for the family album. And Thanksgiving came early, with the traditional turkey dinner in the newly completed dining hall. 72 turkeys were shipped in early for the occasion. The dinner concluded the one day visit to Kosovo by Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea. He later left Pristina airport and was expected to fly to Aviano air base in Italy and then on to the United States. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c996b7afb9e5ba9a35ce859b22b41a42 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork