Coddling Milosevic

That Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic is out of compliance in Kosovo is beyond question. In the October agreement negotiated by special U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke, Mr. Milosevic promised to free civilian prisoners, allow access to war crimes investigators, limit the number of troops and weapons in Kosovo and keep those confined to certain roads and areas. He is in violation of every single promise. More to the point, his troops once again are roaming freely through the countryside, using their heavy guns to shell villages, destroy homes and kill people.

Yet U.S. diplomacy has been directed primarily at the ethnic Albanians who comprise 90 percent of Kosovo's population and were not parties to the October agreement. If they would just sign on to a proposed peace deal, U.S. diplomats keep telling them, then NATO could begin pressing Mr. Milosevic in earnest. Well, of course they should sign on. But, given the impunity with which Serbian forces have trashed the earlier NATO pact, it is not surprising if the Kosovo Liberation Army hesitates to give up its weapons, as U.S. officials are demanding.

Now Mr. Holbrooke has returned to Belgrade for more talks with Mr. Milosevic. Since U.S. and European officials have all but assured the dictator that he no longer needs to fear a bombing campaign, there is reason to worry that Mr. Holbrooke might offer rewards instead -- assurances of immunity from war crimes prosecution for what has taken place in Kosovo so far, a lifting of economic sanctions, perhaps an increase in the already too high number of troops Mr. Milosevic would be permitted to station in Kosovo.

In the end, pressure on the Kosovars coupled with inducements to Mr. Milosevic may produce a temporary agreement. It might even allow NATO leaders to assemble in Washington next month, as planned, to congratulate themselves on NATO's 50th anniversary. But if the agreement does not require Serbian forces to cease their campaign of terror and withdraw fully from Kosovo, it will not last long. And for NATO the first 50 years might also be the last, at least as a credible organization.

-- The Washington Post