launched by American F16s against Serb forces in Gorazde were not an action in defence of Bosnia but a continuation of Western policy leading to the ethnic partition of the country.
To the extent that the western powers have a policy in Bosnia it is to end the war, stabilise the situation, get rid of a difficult political problem and create the conditions for the reintroduction of capital into the region.
They lack sufficient direct material interests in the region to have much stomach or direct involvement in the war. This is what has made western policy a vacillating mess from almost any standpoint, leaving even Paddy Ashdown looking decisive/ Although they have launched air strikes to stave off the imminent fall of Gorazde - which had been designated as a "UN safe Area" - to the Bosnian Serbs, the UN had chosen to ignore the fall of the towns of Zvornik, Foca, and Visagrad over the past two weeks.
In fact the spring offensives of both Serb and Bosnian forces has been in progress for weeks and until now the UN have played down the implications of this for their policy.
The Serbs on the other hand have played their advantage to the full.
Cease fire
They exploited last week's. one day cease fire to launch their offensive around Gorazde, using weapons moved from Sarajavo, and to capture strategic ground overlooking the town - which they want in order to secure that part of Eastern Bosnia and open a new route into Bosnian Serb-occupied areas to the South East.
Western policy is in a mess, but no less dangerous for that. policy has been the negotiations over the last week for a generalised cease fire between the Serbs and the Bosnian army.
This is a goal which links directly to Serbian interests since any cease-fire would freeze the current battle lines into borders under conditions where the Bosnian Serbs currenty occupy 70% of Bosnia. This is why the Serbs were prepared to accept the "ultimatum" in Sarajavo.
The UN air strikes carried out on Sunday therefore do not represent a defence of Bosnia but the continuation of a policy which will result on the destruction of Bosnia.
At the same time they represent a major and unacceptable escalation of western intervention in the region which is against the interests of all the peoples of ex-Yugoslavia.
Surrender
Bosnian government support for the air strikes is seriously misplaced. The UN acts directly on behalf of western powers who are seeking to force the Bosnians into surrender. The UN is the instrument of that policy.
The only force which can defend Bosnia is the Bosnian army and the Bonsnian working class and those who give it support.
The UN should get out of ex-Yugoslavia and allow the Bosnians to defend themselves. The Bosnian government has repeatedly called for the arms embargo to be lifted.
The effectiveness of the BH army if they were properly armed is not in doubt. Despite being confined to light weapons their spring offensive has been remarkably successful in some parts of the country. Substantial territory has been liberated in the North - to the north and west of Bugojino and north of Travnik. Pressure has been relieved on the small Bosnian enclave of Maglai and the BH army has liberated Zepce.
At the same time the US and the West continues to push Bosnia into the reactionary federation with Croatia, leading to the ethnic cantonisation of what remains of Bosnia Herzegovena. Military intervention Bosnian Serb forces have cashed in on the cease-fire, while Bosnians are starved of arms will increase the pressure in this direction.
The hardship of every day life remains a direct pressure on Bosnia to settle as well. Conditions in central Bosnia remain essentially the same as they have been for the past year, and most UN aid convoys have now been suspended as a result of the air strikes.
The role of the UN perpetuates this situation and imperialist leaders are happy to see it continue as a means of achieving western aims.
Until UN forces are out of ex-Yugoslavia and the Bosnians allowed arms in order to defend themselves and their country there cannot be a lasting peace in the region.