Dealing with Milosevic

Richard Holbrooke's reputation as a tough negotiator commands respect, as does his pivotal role in dealing with the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. He had no news for NATO that would have justified relaxing the military pressure governments have taken so disgracefully long to decide to apply.

Under the anodyne rubric of "verification," this question of a ground presence has been the chief sticking point in Belgrade. Russia has nudged Milosevic towards the fallback position of a mission under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

This would be folly. The whole point of this belated effort at intervention is to impose an end to fighting and remove the vicious Serbian special forces from Kosovo. Only so can the conditions for an eventual political settlement be created.

There has been a great deal of tough talk. It has yet to be matched by evidence of a thought-through plan.

-- The Times, London