Letter: EC out of step with UN in approach to Yugoslavia

Sir: As the suffering of the people of Bosnia and other parts of Yugoslavia continues unremittingly and the risk of conflict spreading to Kosovo and other regions accelerates, are those who formulate policy in the rest of Europe aware of the dangers of their policies towards the CIS?

It is chilling to observe the similarities between the current policy of the West towards Russia and the CIS, and the policy enshrined in the Treaty of Versailles, which 'punished' Germany and thereby sowed the seeds of the Second World War. The comments by Lord Healey about the need for a similar initiative to the Marshall Plan for the states of central Europe and the CIS bring into stark relief the lack of vision of our current leaders compared with those who led the world immediately after the war.

Instead of the required initiative, we have the usual punitive IMF adjustment plans which are likely to cause massive dislocation of the societies involved. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Red Army soldiers and officers find themselves humiliated and homeless in a CIS where there are thousands of nuclear weapons. These facts further complicate a scenario that is likely to engender most unwelcome reactions from nationalistic and militaristic forces. If this tragedy should occur, a large share of the responsibility must lie with leaders in Western Europe and the United States, who have consistently failed since 1988 to respond effectively to the needs of the time. If nuclear conflict comes to the CIS, and thereby to the world, we will all regret these lost opportunities.

Yours faithfully,

JANET BLOOMFIELD

MARY BRENNAN

Vice-Chairs

Campaign for Nuclear

Disarmament

London, N7