Leave Bosnia to the Bosnians : Foreign policy: The U.S. has no useful role or vital interest in the ages-old Balkans conflict.

The United States and its NATO partners have been in a state of denial over the past fortnight as they have discussed possible new bombing strikes, fast-reaction forces, “reconfigurations” of UN/NATO forces on the ground, and new peace plans for the Balkans.

Here at home, the dramatic rescue of our downed jet pilot in Bosnia provided a brief diversion, with President Clinton milking every conceivable ounce of exploitation from the event while evading the basic policy reexamination that is long overdue.

When we and our partners seriously consider our options, we will begin a complete bailout from a conflict where our vital interests are not involved and which we could not settle in any case. When we do this, we will leave the Balkans where they have been for several centuries: at the mercy of murderous nationalist, ethnic and religious cross-currents in which one party, then another, serves as aggressor or victim.

The die was cast for this round of Balkan tragedy when the European Union, at Germany’s urging, ratified Yugoslavia’s breakup by recognizing the independence of its component states. The basis for futile Western policy was further sealed when 1992 presidential candidate Clinton threatened to supply Bosnian Muslims with arms and to bomb Bosnian Serb positions, and then, after his election but before his inaugural, renounced the U.N.-sponsored Vance-Owen peace plan, which contained the only small chance that a viable territorial settlement might be reached. (The President’s Republican critics have been equally destructive with their tough-talking threats to undertake policies that would escalate the war but not make a peace.)

There are two glaring realities that must be confronted.

The Western reality is that neither the European Union countries nor the United States have any vital interest at stake in the Balkans, except generally to contain the conflict within the immediate region. Moreover, neither European nor U.S. parliamentary or public opinion will tolerate further expenditures of their countries’ money or risk of their troops’ lives in a Balkan intervention. The U.S. refusal last Thursday to pledge funds for a proposed U.N. fast-reaction force in Bosnia provided graphic proof.

The Balkan reality is that, despite all the bloodshed to date, the warring parties are committed body and soul to continuing the struggle.

An additional problem: Russia, traditionally aligned with the Slavic Serbs but working with Western powers to seek a Balkan settlement, probably has reached its limit in trying to push the Serbs toward a deal. Hypernationalists in Russia are capitalizing on public sympathy for the Serbs to discredit the Yeltsin government and its collaboration with Western governments that tilt against the Serbs.

After one last public and foredoomed attempt at peacemaking, we and our partners will have no option but to leave as quickly and gracefully as we can.

An unfortunate side effect of our ill-considered if well-intended Balkan venture has been the same one left behind after similar undertakings in Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti and Vietnam. Ordinary citizens will ask fundamental questions, such as: Why should our kids’ lives be risked there? Why should we spend billions of American dollars there? What is important enough to justify the financial and human cost we are paying?

So long as American presidents and policy-makers keep committing us to places that are marginal to our interests, a time will come when the American people will not support an effort in a place that really matters. Already we see a public backlash against further foreign involvements, “foreign aid” (loosely defined and understood), and U.N.-related activity.

Each commitment carelessly taken, even out of humanitarian instinct, makes it more difficult for this or a future President to gain public support for careful and appropriate use of American power.

We saw injustice and war in the Balkans and tried to stop it. But it never was ours to stop. Time to back off and move on.