European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 02, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday december 2, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 17 . Makes Empcke Willuam Safire it. Gen., sir Michael Rose the re incarnation of Neville Chamberlain has just admitted that his . Force of 23,000 europeans is unable to deter bosnian serbs from destroying cities the Security Council has established As Safe havens. " ". That is tantamount to surrender. A ragtag splinter group of serbians with no Power but the weaponry and willingness to kill civilians has rendered the poseurs and pontificator of the United nations helpless and contemptible. This prove that As a vehicle for concerted in votary response to an aggressor or violator of human rights the . Is worthless. Worse it abuse of nato s military Power 7 calling for pinprick responses taking Rutan unmanned tank or bombing an Airstrip but sparing planes makes a mockery of the Atlantic Alliance s ability to deter bythe threat of harsh retaliation. The demonstration of . Impotence is a plus we can now Stop kid Ding ourselves about a world police Force and reduce our financial support of the world body to a More equitable 10 per cent of its budget. But the willingness of Britain an France to let nato be riddled by . Hand ringers is a big minus. The chasm opened within the Alliance could sharply reduce America s involve ment in european defense. This is precisely what France conflict in Bosnia says foreign minister Alain Juppe has shown the necessity to move beyond nato and american guarantees French leaders have Long thought they would More easily dominate a european bureaucracy if Ami would go Home. A . Withdrawal of its remain ing troops and the folding of the .nuclear umbrella is not what Britain wants. " but the sustained recklessness of prime minister John major has made in special the relationship built up by Strong British leaders through hot and cold to do 6appetite wars.,-- a Rose s repugnance at War making when . Havens become War zones symbolizes Britain s least Fine hour. Both France and Britain pretend that America has no standing in stopping the Slaughter in Bosnia because we Are univ willing to commit myriads of ground troops to Battle. Unless you re willing to Lead and bleed they say you have no right to anger the serbs who could take our peacekeepers hostage. Nonsense the Choice betwee doing nothing to Stop the serbs and Send ing in an overwhelming Force of hundreds of thousands of americans is a fals Choice the real Choice is Between doing Noth ing with . Peacekeeper hostages continuing to fail to deter the serbs and putting into action a nato strategy to change the course of a War that will be Long arid bloody no matter what we do. The peacekeepers have no peace to keep. A a they cannot Stop the serbs or Force the muslims to surrender. If they Are fearful of becoming War makers then get them out of the Tine of fire., _ at that Point France and Britain will have to excuse to avoid helping muslims by lifting the arms embargo or to Hurt serbs from he air. Give serious bombing a of this Middle of the night wan Dering around by a few nato pilots jerked in and out of action by a discredited , commander. -2 let s see what sustained destruction of Bridges Anil Roatis ammunition dumps Oil supplies arid Barracks political gatherings and Small factories can do to Send the serbs a message. \ i _ _ this approach is derided by the same horde or military experts who said that Iraq would never be conquered by air Asif such a pounding did not greatly soften the resistance of Saddam Hussein s forces. " " to r o y a but Bosnia is mountainous say the experts As if modern Airpower can t detect Metal and heat or the movement of tanks in Snow. The counter a is that the far weaker bosnian serbs arc untested by incoming rockets and bombs. Our defeatist defense Secretary scoffed at Airpower a Diapositive role Only sunday. But combined with arming and training the Muslim fighters who want to occupy their own country sustained nato Tacti Cal and strategic bombing of serbian positions and supplies could help level the Field of fire. Yes it would temporarily raise the level of ferocity. ,. But a rain of unrelenting punishment would also be a powerful inducement to serbs to end the War on terms already accepted by muslims. _ arid that would save hundreds of thou Sands of lives l it would save nato too. T j c now Vork . Norway can Well afford to Gold shoulder u .i1 of. V .-.-.--,-.-. Mellgren Oslo Norway a when it comes to the out Side world norwegians Are like their Viking ancestors Quick to grab what they like and then Retreat to their wealthy Northern kingdom. Asked monday if they wanted to join the european Union norwegians As one newspaper put it said no As not much has changed1 since 1972, when they Alst said no to what was then the european economic Community. " norwegians used to the Solitude of their snowy mountains and Loag fjords Don t mind being alone. They have mixed feelings about foreigners. And they Don t want anybody especially the eur telling them How to run their Economy. In the referendum 52.2 percent voted against membership despite warnings from the government that it would leave them isolated. Norwegians have lived so Long by themselves up in their Mountain villages that they Don t want anything Todo with civilized countries claimed yes voter Frank Hagen on election Day. Political cartoons often showed norwegians building a Wall around their country to keep Europe out. " compared to most of Europe Norway can afford to be standoffish. The country of 4.3 million people is Western Europe s largest Oil exporter and unlike eur bound Sweden and Finland is enjoying an economic up swing. It is also Rich on other natural resources. Affluence in t the Only reason for Norway s Cool Ness. A ."."". Many the word Union was enough to vote j -. I / \ _ Norway spent hundreds of years in Union with swe Den and Denmark or both. ". When norwegians got the Chance in 1905, More than _99 percent Ted to break away and form their own country. Norway has Only been fully Independent since 1905, and spent five years of that time occupied by nazi Germany prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland once said explaining norwegians jealous their sovereignty. Norwegians travel extensively hopping jetliners to sunny islands to escape their cold dark Winters. But a researcher once said norwegians Are like Vikings wanting to see the world As Long As the world did t come to Norway. An old saying sums it up travel is Good but Home is they have not shied from involvement in foreign affairs usually As Long As those affairs stay foreign. Norwegians revealed in glory last year when their dip. Komats secretly brokered a peace agreement Between Israel and the Palestine liberation organization. They give out the Nobel peace prize and occupy key United nations jobs. During the 1994 Winter olympics in Lille Harmer norwegians basked in the world Praise of their picture perfect games and foreign tourists were delighted by their hospitality. A -. But tourists go Home. Immigrants Don t. / Norway slate foreign minister forum Jorgenia hoist once claimed in a debate Over whether to accept Refu gees that norwegians Are not very even though less than 5 percent of Norway s Popula Tion Are foreigners most from Northern Europe _ norwegians relentlessly discuss whether they should allow More into the country eur opponents played on those concerns by warning norwegians that membership would bring immigrants As Well As drugs and crime to their peaceful Corner of Europe. Norway even defied world opinion faced pro less and braved Sanction threats so it could whale Hunting last year despite a global v. Who is it out there who has the right to take from us our right to live and survive on this harsh coast As behave for generations asked Geir Wulff Nilsen in Norway s Arctic at the time. Clearly from the not All norwegians Are so inclined. The eur Campaign in general pitted the heavily populated Southeast against the More Rural West and spar sely populated Arctic provinces c the associated press the opinion apr Tbod in the column and cartoons on thl Page of int those of the author and a in no Way to a con Cdr a at up resenting those of the stars and Stripe or the United states government
