Conflict in the Balkans

I believe it is necessary to point out a couple of things regarding “Swirling Winds of War Around Bosnia” (editorial, Dec. 29). One thing specifically was the angry plight of Croat irregulars, who have come close to launching a grenade attack on British U.N. peacekeepers. U.N. peacekeeping efforts in Croatia and Bosnia have been an utter failure from day one. The United Nations has helped enable the Serbs to settle their “Serb only” population in areas that are formally recognized as and always have been Croatian territory.

The purpose of U.N. placement in Croatia was not only to keep the peace, but also to help return the refugees (who were ethnically cleansed) back to their own homes in their own country, which never happened. Who can blame the Croatians for trying to hold on to the land that is rightfully theirs?

Also President Bush warned Serbian President Milosevic against aggression in Kosovo. This means two things: The Serbs will be allowed to continue their murderous aggression in Bosnia so long as it is not Kosovo, and Bush is not dealing with reality. The Albanians in Kosovo are currently living under tyrannical conditions with tanks and AK-47s looking down their throats, if in fact they even consider the thought of sovereignty.

LINDA HURLEY

Orange