The irony of Bosnia

Great irony was displayed in the conflict area in Bosnia. Angered by the shooting down of pilot O'Grady's F-16 fighter over Serbian territory, Washington immediately conducted a large-scale rescue operation. Special forces were deployed with the support of an aircraft carrier, helicopters and sophisticated aircraft.

The U.S. is naturally proud with the result of the operation. However, by conducting it, the U.S. actually exposed a great existing irony. To rescue one pilot the U.S. was ready to put everything at stake. But what has the U.S., which claims to be the world's policeman and protector of human rights, done for the millions of Bosnians whom the Serbs are continuously trying to annihilate? Hardly a thing. There have been only diplomatic acts and gestures of humanism at high levels which have never brought any results.

This American move, and also the irresolute stance taken by NATO so far, once again indicates that no serious intention to come to an overall settlement of the Bosnian conflict exists. So far, the U.S., NATO and other European countries involved have only pretended to try to settle the conflict but have only really acted when their own interests were directly threatened.

-- Republika, Jakarta