THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 1996 TAG: 9609110011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 49 lines
Europe's shame regarding Bosnia continues. When the worst slaughter on the continent since World War II began, the European powers did little more than dither. As cities were destroyed, civilians minced and a vile echo of the Nazi holocaust instituted, legalistic quibbling was the response.
Finally, the United States helped broker a peace, agreed to police it and stay until elections could be held. It wasn't our fight or our responsibility. It was a politically risky commitment for President Clinton to make.
About 2.9 million people are eligible to vote Saturday. The cobbled-together arrangement sounds implausible. Instead of persuading antagonists to work together, the prospect of elections has led to a new round of atrocities.
Clinton's promise to get most troops out by the end of this year is now pinching. The elections have been hastily arranged.
If Clinton doesn't stick to the timetable, he'll be accused of getting bogged down in a quagmire. A hasty departure could knock the props out from under the shaky settlement. Many observers believe only NATO troops, a disproportionate share of them American, keep bloody chaos at bay.
Last week, Bob Dole said the coming elections would be ``a fraud with an American stamp of approval.'' He urged postponement. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger says each side ``suppresses dissent and seeks to use the elections to solidify its ethnic base for the ultimate showdown with hated rivals.''
The critics are probably right. The elections will fail to resolve hatreds. The peace will probably dissolve. The violence will probably re-escalate. But the dilemma would be less vexing if the Europeans had made more than a token contribution to peacekeeping. Instead, their absenteeism continues.
Pollwatchers are needed for 4,000 polling places. The Europeans have been able to provide fewer than 900 people for the job. It's a big continent. You'd think 4,000 or 40,000 pollwatchers could be turned up from the police and military of a dozen countries, from the ranks of NATO and European Community bureaucracies, from churches and universities. You'd think troops to replace withdrawing Americans could be arranged.
Given the situation, Clinton is probably right to get our personnel out of harm's way. There's too little willingness by allies to share the load and too great a likelihood of an endless crossfire ahead. We have done all that could reasonably be expected. The Europeans have done far less. They have been willing to let other people take on a thankless job. They have looked the other way and have let their neighborhood sink into barbarism. They can redeem themselves by shouldering the burden now. by CNB