Clinton May Seek End to Bosnian Arms Embargo

President Clinton said Friday that he will unveil a new strategy within days for deterring Serbian aggression in Bosnia-Herzegovina, hinting that the new plan may call for lifting the arms embargo in an effort to aid the Bosnian Muslims.

Abandoning previous arguments that allied objections would stymie any such move, Clinton told reporters during his second presidential news conference that the issue now is whether ending the embargo “will . . . help you get a settlement and bring about peace, or will it lead to more bloodshed.”

Clinton remained more circumspect about the possibility of air strikes against Serbian positions in Bosnia. Citing the view of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Colin L. Powell, he cautioned that, if the United States takes action, “we must have a clearly defined objective that can be met, we must be able to understand it and its limitations must be clear.” He said that both options “deserve serious consideration.”

But the President emphatically ruled out, as he has again and again, the use of American ground troops in the region.

Calling the Balkan violence “the most difficult foreign policy problem we face,” he suggested that American allies--who also have been reluctant to become embroiled in the intractable conflict--may be ready to move to more drastic measures in their long deliberations over how to halt the Serbian campaign of “ethnic cleansing,” the ejection of non-Serbs from Serb-controlled areas.

“I do not think we should move alone, unilaterally, nor do I think we will have to,” said Clinton, adding a moment later, “We are, after all, the only superpower, and we do have to lead the world.”

In other comments during a 45-minute White House news conference, Clinton:

* Acknowledged that he did not have an “adequate strategy” for dealing with Republicans during his failed fight to pass his economic stimulus bill. But he defended the first 100 days of his Administration, insisting that his team had already “fundamentally changed the direction of government.”

* Countered criticism from Texas billionaire Ross Perot, his former presidential rival, on his economic plan, saying the two candidates’ views on the economy--at least until recently--were similar.

* Conceded there are questions on how Russian aid packages will fare in the U.S. Congress, which is increasingly skeptical about new foreign aid at a time when the United States faces a plethora of domestic problems.

Although Clinton was careful to say that his Administration continues to weigh all alternatives on Bosnia, his words signaled a shift since earlier this month, when Clinton insisted that European objections to any change in the arms embargo made it unnecessary to debate the merits of the idea.

A senior State Department official said Friday that the United States has “made a commitment to the Bosnians to pursue lifting the arms embargo. So that’s going to happen.” As for air strikes, however, several senior foreign policy officials and military aides have deep reservations. Among them is Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who has made a “very strong” argument against such action, said a senior Administration official. “What’s the exit strategy?” Christopher is said to have asked.

The U.N.-ordered arms embargo against the former Yugoslav republics was an effort to reduce the level of fighting in the region. But it has had a disproportionate effect on Bosnian Muslims and some other smaller ethnic groups, while Serbian forces have remained well-armed.

If the allies decide to lift the embargo, that would enable Islamic nations to supply arms to the Bosnian Muslims, victims of widespread “ethnic cleansing” carried out by Serbian forces. Several Middle Eastern nations have arms reserves that could be made available within a short time.

A senior State Department official said the Administration is also seriously considering several measures beyond seeking to lift the arms embargo. “What’s being discussed is a combination of tougher sanctions . . . (and) what’s authorized under the U.N. resolutions to protect humanitarian actions, including the Canadians in Srebrenica and delivery convoys,” the official said.

There is considerable concern in the Administration that the Canadians in Srebrenica are vulnerable to Serbian attack, the official said, with one short-term goal being finding measures that would deter such an attack.

Clinton’s suggestions of a change in Bosnian policy came as he faced mounting pressure from within his own Administration and Congress for more aggressive action to counteract the Serbs. A dozen career State Department officers involved in day-to-day management of U.S. policy in the Balkans urged Christopher in a letter to press for military action.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of 47 House members made a similar recommendation. The House members said in a letter to Clinton that “the United States cannot acquiesce in genocide in Bosnia.” They called for a “U.S.-led victory strategy” that included lifting the arms embargo against Bosnia and use of NATO air power.

Clinton, who met with reporters at a time when many of them were assessing the first 100 days of his Administration--a milestone that will occur next week--acknowledged that failure to gain Senate approval of his $16.3-billion stimulus bill pointed up shortcomings in his strategy with Congress.

He said he was convinced that the Administration would get the votes of at least four Republican senators. Instead, the GOP remained united in its opposition and succeeded in filibustering the bill to death. “I did not have a strategy for dealing with that,” he said, calling the clash “a strange set of events.”

But in a quick review of his first three months, Clinton mentioned only the stimulus package among his failures, listing a string of what he described as accomplishments. That list was headed by passage of the budget resolution, which he said confirmed the Administration’s intention to cut the budget deficit and increase “investment” spending.

He said the Administration had “reversed a 12-year trend” by proposing higher taxes for upper-income Americans and he took credit for lower interest rates.

Asked about Perot, Clinton said he found Perot’s attacks on his plan to raise taxes “rather amazing.” He urged reporters to reread “United We Stand,” the book Perot issued during his race for the presidency, and indicated Perot had changed his position since the campaign.

Clinton, hinting that Perot’s criticism is not constructive, said, “I think the American people are very impatient with people who don’t produce results.”