Same Old Milosevic

The failure of Slobodan Milosevic to keep his word was once again on display, this time as his military representatives sought vainly in weekend talks with NATO to alter the Kosovo peace plan that Yugoslavia had accepted just days before. Early Monday, shortly after the talks broke down, Milosevic was showing his other face. In a message to Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who had helped convince him that NATO’s demands for ending the fighting and assuring the safe return of Kosovar Albanians were nonnegotiable, Milosevic said he would abide by last week’s agreement. That hasn’t happened, and the devious track record of the Serb strongman rules out putting any faith in his promise.

The test of Milosevic’s intentions will be his verifiable acts in Kosovo. If his military and police forces begin a prompt withdrawal, if the killing and looting stop, if the way is open for Kosovar refugees in Albania and Macedonia to begin the journey home, then and only then it will be possible to begin believing that Milosevic intends to honor the agreement. If there is more foot dragging and dissembling, NATO’s only recourse will be to step up the pressure, especially targeting Milosevic’s armed forces.

The Serbian leader haggled over the weekend for approval to keep up to 15,000 of his troops in Kosovo, instead of the hundreds that NATO is prepared to let return once the bulk of Serb forces is pulled out. He appeared to be pinning his hopes on diplomatic support from Russia, which has a veto in the United Nations and the bargaining power and chance to kill any measure it opposes. Among other issues, Russia has been objecting to NATO’s insistence that its forces have the dominant role in Kosovo peacekeeping. But those responsibilities are legitimate and necessary, whatever the Security Council formally approves.

Milosevic has accepted a peace plan. If the alliance stands resolutely behind that plan, it will prevail, however great the Yugoslav president’s weaseling or Moscow’s complaints.