Letter: Bosnia: superpowers in the wings

Sir: According to UN official sources, the recent Serb onslaught on Gorazde has claimed another 22 children's lives, with a further 72 wounded, adding to the already gruesome legacy of the interplay between local aggressor and international protagonists.

Through the machismo and the Boys' Own stuff of military prowess, it is increasingly clear that there are two major actors who can bring a just and meaningful solution to the area: the US and Russia. The establishment of new interest zones by each of these two will create a new border between East and West, despite the diplomatic niceties that currently obscure the interests of each side.

In times of peace, these spheres of interest were achieved by proxy and covert operations, destabilising internal structures, making them ripe for manipulation. It is only in times of war, or just before, that these powers come out and speak for themselves directly. This may be a sign of danger and a warning.

For if indeed this sign does import conflict, then the children who died in Gorazde are not only a legacy of the recent past but the way of the future. The magical line that will divide the new Russian empire-building interests and the tired West will be the real legacy for all of our future generations.

Yours etc,

M. GRBIN

C. A. GRBIN

Croatian & Bosnian Child

War Victim Trust Fund

Glasgow

13 April