Backup Plan in Bosnia: US 'Equip and Train'

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During the four-year siege of Sarajevo, poorly armed Bosnian policemen, shopkeepers, and students defended their city against Serbs backed up by the arms and soldiers of the mighty Yugoslav Federal Army. If peace fails in Bosnia, the next war might not be so lopsided.

In a program that some American allies object to, the United States has been delivering arms, advisers, and ammunition to the Bosnian Federation. The rationale is this: If the 1995 Dayton peace process fails to bring peace and stability, then a well-armed Bosnian Army might deter Serbs from attacking, and avert war.

With an eye toward eventual pullout of international forces, US officials hope to …