The NLA has said it has the same goals for reform. But Saturday's ambush reinforced the view held by many majority politicians that the guerrillas merely want territory and are not interested in dialogue. Western officials have also condemned the attack. NATO Secretary General George Robertson called the attacks cowardly and said they would not be successful. But Macedonian officials have criticized NATO for not doing enough to put down the fledgling rebel movement.
Officials say guerrillas in Macedonia are receiving weapons from sympathizers in Kosovo.
They say KFOR peacekeepers have not successfully closed down the NLA's supply routes in the south of the province. Residents in the western Tetovo region, where most Albanians live, say that in recent weeks rebels have stepped up efforts to bring in men and weapons from Kosovo. KFOR spokesman Major Axel Jankesek says the NATO-led peacekeeping group has increased its border patrols. We increased our border surveillance along the border to Macedonia, and furthermore, as reaction to this incident, we increased our patrols and we started immediately with more aerial surveillance. Jankesek did concede, however, that KFOR has had difficulty monitoring the border.