European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday november 7, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary Anthony Lewis world cannot ignore Yugoslavia anymore suppose that at this moment Venice were being shched and bombed in a civil War its treasured monuments menaced its population starved. Would the Western world be silent of course not. It would react in outrage. It would intervene to Stop such a crime against history and humanity. Sira Gicu a by a tests where is any effective action to Stop the crime George Bush has not been reluctant to condemn a Presston in the world or to play an Active peace making role. But in the yugoslav conflict the american voice has been muted. Why the answer to the Puzzle must lie in part i believe in memories of what happened in Yugoslavia during i world War ii and afterwards. Political memory has Ini habited our recognition of and willingness to Deal with a new yugoslav reality. During the War Tito and his partisans fought courageously against the occupying nazi armies while croatian fascists set up a pro nazi puppet state. Of to Coward Tito As president of a communist Yugoslavia broke with Stalin the first such Defiance in the com i Monist world and one that won Yugoslavia much Admi i ration and support in the West. That past must help to explain the cold shoulder that \ Croatia and Slovenia got from the United states and other Western countries when they declared their re _. .1 i 1______ _ Public Independent earlier this year. Otherwise one would have expected sympathy for democratic movements seeking Independence from a communist dominated Central government. The tragedy that has overtaken Yugoslavia is the direct result of the ambitions of the serbian communist Leader Slobodan Milosevic. Over the last four years he has schemed to impose serbian domination a and his own a on Federal Yugoslavia. When he could he brutally suppressed opponents such As the albanian majority in Serbia a province of Kosovo. The Milosevic grab for Power aroused in other republics opposition that was both ethnic and democratic a anti communist a in character. When Croatia declared its Independence on june 25, Milosevic responded with War. His instrument is the Federal army whose officers Are mostly serbs. In the attacks since june 25 the Federal army has captured about a third of Croatia a territory. It has used planes to bomb croatian villages and cities As Well As shells and mortars and infantry attacks. The attacks on Dubrovnik Best illustrate the nature of Milosevic a War its punitive nature. Dubrovnik is a Marcus Eliason the Southern end of a thin strip of Croatia running Down the Adriatic coast. It does not Block the Way to anything and it is hard to see what military value it has As a target. It seems in fact to have been targeted for psychological and cultural reasons. Dubrovnik is a Renaissance port beautifully preserved a Gem not Only of Croatia but of All Europe. The United nations has declared it a cultural landmark. Right now bombs Are falling on the City every Day. For nearly a month the Federal blockade has Cut off regular supplies of food water and electricity. The european Community has tried to act diplomatically appointing lord Carrington As its crisis representative. He has brokered cease fire after cease fire but Milosevic pays no attention to them. Lord carring ill a in of Nln Rina ton despite his great abilities is reduced to deploring the attack on Dubrovnik As a Quot criminal  it is a criminal act but nobody does anything serious about the criminal Milosevic. It is True and understandable that the United slates is ordinarily reluctant to assist the ethnic breakup of other countries. But we Are Well past that Point now. Quot the danger that is coming from Yugoslavia May be deeper and longer than the International Community has  president Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia said that during his visit to Washington last month. It is time to listen and to act. C the now York Olmos Only . Can sustain Madrid peace process w _ _ a. 1 i. 1 a 1�? a us Ian a.  nil Madrid Spain a based on past experience the Flicker of Hope that emerged from the Mideast peace conference in Madrid is unlikely to survive without sustained hands on american Diplomat. Much is being made of the firsts that were achieved in Madrid Israel talking to its Arab adversaries face to face without mediators Israel and Syria discussing peace Israel and the palestinians meeting As equals. But the fact is that it took eight months of strenuous efforts by Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii to bring the parties together. T and once they gathered at the negotiating table they  even agree on where to meet next. The texture of sundays talks meshed with expectations. The meeting with the jordanian palestinian delegation was fairly Lively and relaxed while the session with the syrians was a Stony futile recitation of conflicting principles. However appearances can be misleading. The israelis May have More rapport with the palestinians but the issues dividing them a the West Bank Jerusalem and the political destiny of the palestinians a Are far More Complex than those separating Israel and Syria. For the latter the Central Issue is the Golan Heights which like the West Bank was captured by Hradel in the 1967 Mideast War. The strategic value of the plateau augurs very Tough bargaining Between two supremely stubborn leaders Israel s Yitzhak Shamir and syrians Hafez Assad. But the Golan is not part of Shamire a ideological baggage and its Fate rests largely on Security considerations raising various Compromise options like Demili-1 Iri nation and the deployment of foreign peacekeeping forces. The West Bank on the other hand is steeped in religious and historical significance to both sides. It is Home to More than 1 million palestinians and 100,000 jews to Israel it is the Buffer protecting its populous coastal Plain and its capital Jerusalem. To the palestinians it is their state to be. Shamir will present Madrid As vindication of his strategy of holding out for direct talks and their explicit message of Arab recognition of Israel. Although divided Over a venue All the parties agreed to meet again for further direct talks. But the process May take years. Even if agreement with the palestinians is reached it will be at least three years before the final status of the occupied territories is discussed. The syrians have a history of infinite patience. When then Secretary of state Henry Kissinger began shuttling Between Jerusalem and Damascus Syria following the 1973 yom kippur War it took him three months just to extract from the syrians the names of the prisoners of War they were holding and another three months to Nail Down a relatively simple disengagement of forces. Nobody can even guess How Long it would take to negotiate a peace treaty. But if the israelis and arabs want the Madrid process to Bear fruit they Are sure to be calling soon on the services of Baker. History shows that Only the United states with its Money arms and diplomatic Power can make headway in the Middle East. It was a Secretary of state William Rogers who secured the crucial Suez canal cease fire in 1970. Kissin Ger Laid the foundations for the egyptian israeli peace and president Carter personally travelled to the Middle East to wrap it up. The reason the parties need a mediator stems from Pride and realpolitik. Usually the decisive concessions Are so painful that they have to be dressed up As gestures to a Neutral third party. And when that party is the United states the Concession is invariably conditioned on . Aid arms supplies and future political backing. The main reason the israelis and syrians came into the Madrid process was their desire to stay in the Good graces of the United states especially after the persian Gulf War and the end of the cold War established Washington As the pre eminent Power in the Middle East. Israel depends on . Aid especially now that it is struggling to absorb the soviet immigrant influx. Syria is looking to the United states to fill the void left by its soviet Backer. And the palestinians arc counting on Uncle Sam to help them build whatever form of Homeland they achieve in the talks. C Tho associated press the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government