THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 5, 1995 TAG: 9512050011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
The situation in the Balkans is tragic, but it does not follow that young Americans should be sacrificed. The Europeans are capable of dealing with their problem if they have the will, contrary to the assertion of Mr. Clinton.
The current administration has not learned the lesson of Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia: the futility of an external military solution to a civil war.
The performance of U.N. and NATO officials in the Balkans has been consistently poor. Their inequitable arms embargo resulted in the vicious deaths of 250,000 people and the displacement of 2 million others. The U.N. and NATO officials set the stage for the carnage that they now use to justify further intervention. In contrast, the Russians were extremely competent at maintaining peace.
Mr. Clinton's optimistic description of the future evolution of events in the Balkans is implausible. Because American bombs have probably killed a significant number of Bosnian Serbs and depleted their supplies of arms and munitions, Americans will be at special risk of targeting by vengeful Bosnian Serbs. Yet Mr. Clinton proposes to deploy Americans in a long, thin line between the warring factions! Vigorous counterattacks will not revive dead Americans.
Let the Europeans manage their European problem. America has no vital interest in the Balkans as Mr. Kissinger states categorically. Mr. Clinton's rash commitment to involve American forces is unfortunate. Poor decisions should be repudiated immediately, not followed by a series of further blunders, as in Vietnam.
WILLIAM M. YUDT
Portsmouth, Nov. 28, 1995 by CNB