Nato troops face open-ended stay in Macedonia

British soldiers may be forced to remain in Macedonia much longer than expected because Nato is set to change a "firm" 30-day limit on its mission to collect arms from Albanian rebels.

Under new proposals, time lost when the political peace process is stalled will no longer count towards the 30 days, which could extend the mission far beyond its original mandate.

The plans emerged yesterday as Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, flew into Macedonia to meet political leaders and "bang their heads together'' and as the West accused ethnic Macedonian hardliners of trying to undermine the peace process.

The new proposals were the second sign of "mission creep". Earlier, the US special envoy, James Pardew, suggested that Nato's mandate might have to be extended – the first Western official to acknowledge openly a possibility that everyone in Macedonia is talking about. Speaking about the need for more international monitors after the end of weapon collections, Mr Pardew told BBC radio that the monitors "would not be armed, and that does raise the question... whether there should be an extension of the military mandate". But he added: "That hasn't been decided by Nato or anyone else."

The rebels have made no secret of their desire for Nato troops, including up to 1,900 British soldiers, to stay longer in Macedonia. Commanders have warned that they will remobilise if Nato leaves on schedule, in about three weeks, 30 days after the first collection.

On the ethnic Macedonian side, Ljube Boskovksi, the ultra-hardline Interior Minister, has said – to Western dismay – that he will launch a new crackdown on the rebels the moment that Nato troops leave.

The controversial new "elasticity'' in Nato's 30-day limit may be the first step towards extending the mission. It is also clearly aimed at preventing hardliners in the government from deliberately stalling the peace process.

A vital parliamentary debate on granting the Albanian minority more rights, as agreed under the Western-brokered peace deal, finally resumed yesterday. The Albanian rebels have only agreed to disarm in return for the new rights.

The debate was delayed for two days by Stojan Andov, the parliamentary speaker and a member of the hardline kitchen cabinet that, in effect, controls the country. Western diplomatic and military sources said yesterday that those two days would be added to the 30 days.

After meeting political leaders, Mr Hoon said he was "extremely hopeful" that parliament would vote for the reforms. "The 30-day period is not inflexible," he added. "There is no reason why there should be a substantial military operation [after the 30 days]."

But he made clear that Britain did not want to repeat the solo lead role it has in the current mission. "If there is to be a follow-on operation, we will be looking to other countries to play the kind of part that we played," he said. Mr Hoon had come to tell Ljubco Georgievski, the Prime Minister, that he would not get Western backing for a military solution if his followers scuppered the agreement. Western officials believe the Macedonian army is incapable of defeating the rebels without help.

Nato is clearly trying to shore up Boris Trajkovski, the President, against Mr Georgievski. Mr Trajkovski has taken a more moderate line over the crisis, but has little political support in Macedonia.

"We shall be giving our full backing to President Trajkovski, who is an extremely courageous man,'' Mr Hoon said.

Nato sources admitted yesterday that the majority of arms handed over by the rebels are not state of the art. The real breakdown is "about one-third good, one-third serviceable, and one-third antiquated".

Albanians fear that the Macedonian government is using the Nato presence to get ready for all-out war. Nato is uneasy for the same reason, according to a senior diplomat.