He told the crowd that he did not want another child injured because of a premature return to Kosovo.

He urged patience and asked them to give K-For time to clear landmines and other unexploded ordnance.

"A lot of landmines are still in Kosovo and we are bringing in the best people in the world to take them out."

Progress in restoring peace to the province is to be reviewed by the first senior western delegation to visit Kosovo since the end of the Nato bombing campaign.

The foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany and Italy are travelling to Kosovo shortly.

They are expected to underline their commitment to post-war reconstruction.

During his visit, Mr Clinton pledged to help build a better future for the Balkans.

"We are committed, not only to making Kosovo safe, but to helping people rebuild their lives," he said.

"All we want is for you to live your lives... the American people want you to be free."

(Click here to see a map showing refugee movements.)

Mr Clinton: Revenge "will not satisfy anyone and it will only compound the horror"

After visiting the camp, Mr Clinton went on to the Aviano air base in Italy, where he thanked US military personnel for their contribution to the air offensive against Yugoslavia.

With the air war now over, fighter jets and other US warplanes sent to Europe as part of the allied bombing campaign are beginning to pull out. Ten British Harriers based in Italy for the conflict flew home on Tuesday.

Rainy day

Pouring rain had greeted the president and his family when they arrived in Macedonia.

He took time to listen to refugees' traumatic stories at the Stankovic camp, a vast tent city that at its peak held 30,000 people.

Matt Frei reports: "President Clinton has come in triumph to the Balkans"

The camp has since shrunk to about 18,000 as refugees rushed home, ignoring advice not to return until some of the mines and booby traps left behind can be dealt with.

The UN refugee agency says 170,000 refugees have already returned to Kosovo, with 18,000 returning from Albania and 17,0000 from Macedonia in the last 24 hours.

However there are still more than 600,000 waiting to return from neighbouring countries.

Mr Clinton has acknowledged that it will require much self-discipline among the returning refugees not to retaliate.

But he added: "It won't in the end satisfy anyone. It will only compound the horror."

In the Macedonian capital, Skopje, Mr Clinton thanked Macedonians for supporting Nato forces and sheltering Kosovo refugees, and announced $12m in food aid for the country.

Paul Wood in Pristina: Every day there are more innocent victims

"Nato could not have achieved its mission without you," he said.

"The people of Kosovo would not be going home to security and autonomy without you. I came here as much as anything else to say thank you."

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