Word: bosnian
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Next month Western officials must certify that conditions can be met for free and fair Bosnian elections in mid-September. They patently can't, says the International Helsinki Federation. Even the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which will oversee the vote, concluded in a private "benchmark paper" that the minimal requirements set down in Dayton do not exist; there is no freedom of movement, no freedom of expression, no freedom of association. The blame for much of that lies directly with Karadzic, who has challenged or rejected every civilian provision of the Dayton pact...
...deadline for certification approaches, it is suddenly urgent to get rid of Karadzic and Mladic. The problem commands the highest priority at the White House, and other Western officials share the anxiety. Richard Goldstone, chief prosecutor at the Hague tribunal, appealed in Washington for military action to apprehend the Bosnian Serb ringleaders but returned last week with no encouragement. Bildt attempted to sideline Karadzic by elevating more moderate political rivals, among them Prime Minister Rajko Kasagic. When Karadzic sacked the Prime Minister two weeks ago, Bildt labored to transform the dismissal into a real power split that would displace Karadzic...
That scared the U.S. into action. John Kornblum, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs, was dispatched to the region last week to lean on Milosevic, but the Serb President has his own interests to protect. Karadzic is still popular with Bosnian Serbs, and Milosevic, who is not, would only lose ground by removing him. He may have good reason not to hand Karadzic or Mladic over to the Hague, since they are among the few potential witnesses who could confirm his own complicity in war crimes. Yet Milosevic badly needs Western economic aid and diplomatic approval...
First, however, let's note that the military aspects of Dayton have been implemented almost completely with no loss of life to NATO forces from hostile action. The Bosnian Serbs pulled back on schedule. Sarajevo was united under Muslim control. No one--not even the negotiators at Dayton--would have dared predict this five months ago. Still, it is too early for self-congratulations. Other divided lands--Korea and Cyprus, for example--bear witness to temporary cease-fire lines that turn into permanent dividing lines...
Though a divided country might seem better in the short term than a resumption of war, it would hardly constitute justice. De facto partition would leave 49% of Bosnia under the control of the Bosnian Serbs. Partition could also lead to the eventual involuntary dismemberment of Bosnia, with each of its larger neighbors, Croatia and Serbia, annexing a portion of the country, leaving a weak, landlocked Muslim mini-state around Sarajevo. Such a result would threaten the fragile stability in southeastern Europe. At a minimum, Albania, Bulgaria, the Former Macedonian Republic of Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey would all be affected...