'Faulty solutions' for Bosnia and Kosovo
Most of Doug Bandow's excellent column Monday ("Closing the books on
Kosovo," Commentary) would be in agreement with what I have to say.
It is, indeed, appropriate that the passing of such a notable as ABC's
Peter Jennings be acknowledged with all due memorial. Some of the stories
about his achievements were coupled with references to NBC's Tom Brokow and
CBS' Dan Rather.
Quite apart from their achievements, I am reminded that none of the
three examined critically the assumptions on which President Clinton's
Balkan policies were based. They were not alone, however, because the major
newspapers were no better. "NewsHour With Jim Lehrer," as well as National
Public Radio, failed equally.
The net result was that the Clinton administration imposed grossly
faulty "solutions" in Bosnia and Kosovo. When Mr. Clinton defended his
sending troops into Bosnia, he said they would be there "about a year."
Nearly 10 years later, they are still there.
The Dayton solution created a two-unit Bosnia, the Serb Republic and the
Muslim-Croat Federation, with a weak central government. However, the
Contact Group's high representative, whose job presumably was to see to it
that the Dayton Accords be observed, has acted as a "colonial governor,"
dismissing elected officials, mostly in the Serb Republic.
His aim, especially in the case of the latest holder of that office --
Paddy Ashdown -- has been to take powers away from the two units and to
strengthen the central government.
In the meantime, Osama bin Laden loyalists are roaming freely, mainly in
the Muslim-Croat Federation.
In Kosovo, where Mr. Clinton vowed to create a multiethnic society, the
Albanians killed a large number of Serbs and drove many more out of Kosovo,
along with other minorities. The presence of NATO and the United Nations has
not impeded the Albanians' determination to have an ethnically pure Kosovo.
Such are the results of wrongheaded policies, to which the press failed
to alert us.
ALEX N. DRAGNICH
Professor emeritus
Vanderbilt University
Bowie
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050816-102613-7087r_page2.htm
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
