'Faulty solutions' for Bosnia and Kosovo

THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA) LETTERS August 17, 2005

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