The West and Bosnia

The war in Bosnia was at the top of the agenda at the 52- nation Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Moscow's move to hold up the United States' vain attempts at taming the Serbian shrew is mind-boggling. Why is the United States a superpower in some instances and not in others?

Naturally, the Serbs underscored the European argument by promptly detaining 500 peacekeepers.

The European argument that the Bosnian Moslems should not be armed because that would be detrimental to the safety of the peacekeeping troops is preposterous.

The Bosnian government has rightly rejected a permanent cease- fire since that would solidify Serb territorial gains, which amount to 70 percent of Bosnian territory.

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, food stockpiles were running out at an alarming rate.

Over 200,000 of Bosnia's Moslems have lost their lives in the 32-month-old conflict. Why is the West being such a windbag? Why is the West being weak-kneed?

-- Al-Ahram Weekly, Cairo