Bosnia: Time to Help

As if all the blood that has been shed in Bosnia was not enough, it took scenes of a marketplace massacre in which 68 people died to prompt Western leaders to action.

Soon after the pictures of the carnage hit television screens, NATO leaders gave the Serbs an ultimatum: remove the artillery that rings Sarajewo or have it removed by NATO warplanes. Already the threat has borne some fruit: Serbs have turned over some heavy weapons to U.N. troops.

But we have seen this pattern before. Whenever NATO or the U.N. has made noise about action against the Serbs, they have made some small concession--and then gone on with the killing. Western leaders have fallen for this ruse over and again.

This time needs to be different. If the Serbs do not fully comply with the initial ultimatum, the threat must be carried out. The issue is not Western credibility--that has long since been lost--it is the survival of the Bosnian people, both in Sarajevo and in the rest of the country.

If the Serbs do comply, it will represent a victory for international law and decency. But only a small one.

This particular confrontation remains a small battle in the larger war for justice in Bosnia. The task of formulating a long-term policy in Bosnia will remain.

The principle that should guide this policy is a rejection of aggression and "ethnic cleansing." Any pressure on the Bosnians to accept a division of the country is inconsistent with this principle. It is clear what should not be done, but what should be done?

There are two general possibilities. The first is to aid the Bosnians militarily and let them fight for their country. This has the advantage of sparing Western troops from danger, but might result in continued savage warfare.

The other alternative is for the West to enforce a settlement, requiring the deployment of thousands of troops. While NATO troops are far superior to any of those fighting in Bosnia, such a deployment would inevitably lead to losses. If the U.S. experience in Somalia is any indication, the Clinton administration might not have the stomach for these losses.

The most realistic alternative is to supply the Bosnian army militarily while aiding them with air strikes. These strikes should not be limited to artillery but should also target supply depots and bridges between Serbia and Bosnia--a main conduit for supplies to the Bosnian Serbs. If the aid and the air strikes are not enough, then it will be time to consider other options.

If the U.N. troops currently in Bosnia come under attack from the Serbs, then it is time to remove them. Their presence has held up action for too long already.

The ideal result of this combined strategy would be quick Serb decision to agree to a palatable settlement that leaves a viable Bosnian state. And if the Serbs do decide to fight, the Bosnians will have the ability to fight back.

The massacre in Sarajevo's marketplace has given the West an opportunity to end its strategic and moral capitulation. It is an opportunity not to be missed.