SOCIALIST OUTLOOK is opposed to NATO's bombing of Bosnian Serbs. The objective is not to lib. erate or unite Bosnia, but to enTorce its particion. The latest imperialist 'peace' plan involves handing 49 percent of Bosnia to the Serbs, making the rest a Croatian dependency.
Unlike some who have denounced the bombing - such as MPs Tony Benn and Tam Dalyell - we do so as defenders of Bosnia. We have always defended the right of the people of Bosnia to secede from former Yugoslavia and to create an independent. multi-ethnic Bosnian state. Many of the British left, by refusing to 'take sides' in what they dismiss as a 'civil war", in essence, upport the Greater Serbia project Ve understand why residents of Sarajero cheered NATO planes dropping bombs. Af. ter suffering 4 years of siege, bombardment, and being denied weapons to defend them. seives, such a reaction is hardly surprising.
NATO's bombs have been dropped on people living in the areas controlled by Karadzic. Many Bosnian Serb civilians have been killed. However, main objective of the military action has been to repress and intimidate those muslims, Serbs and Croats committed to fighting for an independent. multi-ethnic Bosnia.
NATO solution'
NATO's actions are designed, despite Michael Portillo's denials, to force a 'diplomatic solution'.
They are also designed to head off criticism in the West, particularly in the United States, of the continuing arms embargo on Bosnia, and resolve the differences between the imperialist powers. That is why the United States has asserted itself as the architect of the current bombing campaign. Bosnian Serbs have been killed to prop up Clinton's flagging credibility Far from being designed to preserve multi-ethnic Bosnia the NATO bombing campaign aims to force the acceptance of the latest 'plan' which, in common with all its predecessors, aims at the carve-up of BosAll the signs are that, perhaps under some pressure from Serbian Presidene Milosevic. the leaders of the so-called Bosnian Serb Republic would be willing to negotiate a settlement which tinkers with dividing lines but leaves them controlling 49 per cent of NATO's bombing campaign is to warn those in Bosnia who want to continue to fight for an independent multi-ethnic state that they will get no support.
The bombing is also intended to strengthen those forces in the Bosnian government who are prepared to accept partition into a Bosnian Serb area - which wil probably include the supposed 'safe haven' of Gorazde - and a Croat-Muslim federaOddly, given western demonisation of Islam, this is an intervention designed to bolster up the most Islamist currents against the defenders of secularism. It is an intervendon in support of bosnian Presidens Izetoc govie and Foreign Minister Sacirbey against Prime Minister Haris Silajdic Yet it is not as odd as it seems. Clearly the 'rising star" in the Bosnian government is Sacirbey who, as former ambassador to the United Nations, clearly has the strongest Outlook. PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. 0 1995 NATO's actions have nothing to do with defending Bosnia ties to the United States. Sacirbey and Miloseric (who also has strong personal ties with the U.S.) are clearly seen as the best interests of U.S. imperialism. Those who continue to argue for a multi-ethnic Bosnia Over the summer Silajdic briefly resigned in protest at attempts by Izetbegoric and Sacirbey to force through a constitutional change reserving the post of President for a Muslim. Significantly Silajdic was backed by much of the army. In the Tuzla region every single military commander supported Silaidic's continued insistence on a multi-ethnic Bosnia. It was no doubt this military support that persuaded him to withdraw his resignation. NATO's bombing campaign aims to isolate these forces in favour of the Realpoliok of carving up Bosnia.
Swallowing up
The division of Bosnia between a Serb area and the Muslim-Croat federation will eventually lead to the swallowing up of Bosnia between Croatia and Serbia - though the bombing campaign no doubts also serves to remind Milosevic and Tudjman of Croatia that they should allow a decent interval to pass before embarking on such ambitions. The ultimate losers will be the Bosnian Muslims, despite the intentions of Izetbegovic and Sacirbey.
Yet, in many ways, the biggest victims of NATO's offensive will be the hundreds of thousands of Serbs who have remained loyal There will be no place for them in a Muslim-Croat federation, particularly a federation swallowed up by Tudjman. Nor will 'Greater Serbia' offer much of a prospect.
In the long run only the overthrow of Tudiman and Milosevic by the Croatian and Serbian working classes can bring about a solution.
In the meantime socialists stand with all those forces resisting the carve-up of Bosnia. yve stand for the ra outne peopse of Bosnia to preserve an independent multi-ethnic state.
That means total opposition to the NATO bombings and a continued campaign for lifung the arms embargo so that the people of Bosnia can defend themselves and determine their own future. • Krajina recaptured: see p 11