``I am proud to announce that we are doing our part to help the Kosovar people,'' Vice President Al Gore said at a ceremony in New York.

``We will accept, on the American mainland, up to 20,000 of the hurting and homeless Kosovar refugees, those with close family ties in America, and those who are particularly vulnerable, until they are able to return home safely,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the first contingent of US Apache attack helicopters arrived Wednesday in Albania, signalling NATO's determination to take its offensive against Serb forces to a new level.

A dozen of the fearsome-looking army aircraft -- half of the initial deployment of 24 -- flew from Italy along with Blackhawk assault helicopters and Chinook transports.

US officials refused to say when the aircraft might see combat, but NATO SecretaryGeneral Javier Solana has said they should be in action next week.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart stressed there were still no plans for a ground invasion in Yugoslavia, but added an operational assessment of the Air campaign worked out six months ago can be ``updated'' if the NATO recommends it.

``We believe that if the military command believes that this is the right way to go and that it would be prudent for them to update, then it's certainly something we'd support,'' he said.