MACEDONIA: KOSOVO CRISIS: NATO TROOPS WAIT AT THE BORDER - LATEST

(12 Jun 1999) English/Nat NATO forces were massed in Macedonia near the border with Kosovo early on Saturday morning ready to move into the province. The first peacekeeping troops to cross the border were meant to be British, before the Russians jumped the gun and drove into Pristina before sunrise. The British forces had been moving into positions near the border all day Friday. Late into the night on Friday NATO armoured vehicles moved into position just a few hundred metres from the border with Kosovo. At this time these British troops still expected to be the first members of the peacekeeping force moving into the war-ravaged province. After days of hold-ups these soldiers were at last about to do the job they had been training for. Earlier in the day a column from the 4th Armoured Division of the Royal Household Cavalry were greeted enthusiastically as they drove across Macedonia towards the border town of Brazde. Most of those who had turned out to wave them on their way had been children, simply enjoying the spectacle. Many of the troops had been preparing for months for their entry into Kosovo. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Well I've been here since February so its quite nice to actually get out and eventually be doing something I've been training, planning, and going to various O-groups for for the past 3 months." SUPER CAPTION: Captain Keith Byron, British Army Within hours these troops would finally be crossing the border into Kosovo and starting on the next stage of the operation to bring peace to the province. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...