Meanwhile, the process of giving Albanians greater rights is barely moving in spite of constant urging by Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, and other western visitors. Talk of amnesty for the guerrillas, provided they quietly disappear, is hollow since Macedonia's leadership seems unwilling to exonerate the top commanders, as was done successfully for Albanian commanders of the recent insurgency in the Presevo valley of Serbia. No wonder the mood in Skopje is growing bleaker. A war which three months ago could have been forestalled is threatening to become a war foretold. It could pretend there is no link, and remind its electorate that Nato has experience of dealing with Albanian extremists in Serbia and Kosovo.
War only makes both worse, and it is alarmingly near.