Albanian stole Bush watch?

The web is buzzing with a great story that supposedly happened as president Bush left Albania Sunday.
The Prez stepped happily into a happy, arm-grabbing crowd on his way out of Tirana, when a nimble Albanian amongst the cheerers managed to slip the president's wristwatch off his left hand. Did it happen?
White House spokesman Tony Snow claims Bush took the watch off and pockeded it.
A diplomat at the US Tirana embassy strongly denies the story, but offers no spesifics.
An Albanian bodyguard says Bush lost his watch on the ground, and that another guard, conveniently unidentified, bent down and picked it up. Presumably to return it.
TV station Top Channel supposedly has shown footage indicationg on of the president's own bodyguards took the wath off his hand on instructions from his boss.
This youtube clip failed to convince me one way or another.

Must admit this enthusiasm for providing alternative and contradictory explanations, is suspicious. But it might as well reflect an impulse to shield the host country from negative press, as denial of facts known to the spinners.

My suggestions:
Those who gleefully state as a fact that an Albanian stole the piece off Bush's hand, are devious. Not because it might not have happened, but because they don't know.
If guessing is allowed, mine is that it fell off. Just check the chaos and heavy grabbing on the youtube video.


If on the other hand a crafty person managed to slip the watch off, kudos to him or her. It will only be a negative reflection on most Albanians in minds obsessed with stereotypes.