The Test in Gorazde

Human decency is being put on trial in a place called Gorazde.

The town is under seige by Serb forces who show all intentions of overruning the city and terrorizing its 65,000 inhabitants, many of whom are already refugees. In recent days, the Serbs have escalated from shelling to actual forays into the city. On Saturday, Serb tanks advanced into the city and shelled the hospital.

Removing the Muslims from Bosnia has been a central goal of the Serbs throughout the war, and they have been remarkably successful. Using shelling, intimidation and rape they have captured almost seventy percent of Bosnia's territory. Gorazde is next on their list of conquests.

Ironically, Gorazde is one of the five Bosnian towns declared "safe areas" by the United Nations months ago. The U.N. authorized force to protect these areas, which have become enclosed ghettos holding much of the remaining Muslim population.

In effect, these "safe areas" are the one thing standing between the Serbs and the realization of their genocidal goals. They are the last stand of the Bosnian Muslims.

Perhaps realizing the obligation it has to the city and its people, NATO has engaged in several minor airstrikes in an attempt to deter the Serbs form taking the city. These apparently have failed. Rather than being cowed, the Serbs have stepped up the offensive.

Now the burden of decision lies with NATO again. Yet the most powerful military alliance in the world shows no signs of being ready to actually prevent the Serbs form taking Gorazde. Rather, the focus is still on somehow convincing the Serbs to come back to the negotiating table. The flaw in this strategy is manifest: why should the Serbs negotiate when they can take their prize at very low cost? The West still insists on treating the Serbs as wayward youths rather than the war criminals they are.

If we are really serious about stopping the atrocities, there is now only one option. The Serbs must be taught a lesson. NATO must either protect Gorazde through heavy air attacks, or if that is no longer possible, punish Serb forces by attacking command center, weapons depots, artillery and supply links between Serbia and Bosnia.

Bosnia is hardly the only place in the world where atrocities are happening, but the situation there is certainly one of the worst. And nowhere else are the capabilities needed to stop the atrocities so close at hand. It is the right place to take a stand against evil.

Taking a stand, though, requires making tough decisions and accepting some losses. Until our leaders face up to those requirements, decency will make little progress.