Dole to visit Kosovars in Macedonia

Associated Press, April 16, 1999

WASHINGTON -- Elizabeth Dole left yesterday for Macedonia to visit Kosovo refugees as she planned to assess the Yugoslavia crisis and burnish her foreign affairs credentials for the 2000 presidential campaign

But Republican strategists were divided over whether the two-day trip by the former American Red Cross president would boost a campaign that has shown signs of stalling.

"I'm not going to discuss the trip from a political point of view, because that's not the purpose of the trip," said a Dole spokesman, Ari Fleischer. "She's going because she's concerned about the humanitarian crisis and wants to personally assess the role the United States should and could play."

Still, advisers say privately that the trip will highlight her years of relief work with the Red Cross and draw much-needed attention to the campaign.

Dole plans to tour a refugee camp today and visit a Macedonia family housing Kosovars.

She tours another camp tomorrow before returning home.

Fleischer said Dole plans to present her findings in a speech next week.