Western Intervention in Bosnia

In response to “Stop Bosnia Aggression With Military Cleansing,” by Janusz Bugajski, Commentary, Aug. 14:

How disingenuous can one be? Yugoslavia was a multiethnic state whose breakup, aided and abetted by Western powers, resulted in internecine warfare. Now this person advocates using American forces to restore multiethnic democracy in Bosnia. Yes, give arms to Muslims and other Bosnians, Croats and see how long it takes for them to cleanse Serbs from their midst. The key to peace there does not lie in maintaining integrity of Bosnia, a United Nations member and an independent state, as Bugajski says. He forgets to mention that Yugoslavia, too, was a U.N. member and an independent state and was so for much longer than a month.

American and Western intervention would only make matters worse. The best thing is to adopt some sort of Monroe Doctrine and let the Europeans sort their problems among themselves. This is the key step to peace.

By the way, it is not so terrible to have warfare and strife at the doorsteps of Western European capitals. They had peace too long, enjoying American largess and protection only to undermine the American economy through unfair competition. Let them stew in their own juice, for after all they are past masters of these sorts of things.

R. BANAM

West Covina