Did Bush have watch stolen?

GLAD-handing US President George W.Bush may have given adoring Albanians more than his affection with news footage and photographs showing him apparently having his watch stolen off his wrist in front of a throng of secret service agents.
Mr Bush was being mobbed by a euphoric crowd in the town of Fushe Krujein, near the capital Tirana when the handsome watch with a dark strap disappeared.

Some media outlets and a video showed images suggesting Mr Bush's watch vanished while he shook hands with enthusiastic Albanians during a weekend stop there.

But the White House today flatly denied Mr Bush and his minders were outwitted by a common thief and said the watch was not stolen.

"No, it was not. It was placed in his pocket," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

"The President put it in his pocket and it returned safely home."

Albanian police and the US embassy in Tirana also denied the reports.

"The story is untrue and the President did not lose his watch," an embasssy spokesman said.

"It is not true," said Albania's police director Ahmet Prenci.

One version of events was that Mr Bush, surrounded by five bodyguards, put his hands behind his back so one of the bodyguards could remove his watch.

Another was from an Albanian bodyguard who accompanied Mr Bush in the town.

He told the Associated Press he had seen one of his US colleagues close to Mr Bush bend down and pick up the watch from the ground after it slipped off his wrist.

The US embassy said the security agent then passed the watch to First Lady Laura Bush.

People waiting on the pavements gave Mr Bush a rapturous welcome, shaking hands with him, grabbing him by the arms and wrists, reaching out to embrace him and even ruffling his hair.

Mr Bush was clearly delighted by the attention and plunged back into the crowd for more hand-shaking and to be kissed on the cheek.

Mr Bush's visit to the tiny Balkan country, the first ever by a US president, was considered historic.

To mark the occasion Albania issued three postage stamps with images of Mr Bush and the Statue of Liberty, renamed a street after him, awarded him the nation's highest medal and Fushe Kruje declared him an honoured citizen.