The needs of Bosnia's displaced

The front-page article "UN Focuses on Urgent Needs of Bosnia's Displaced," Dec. 2, refers to the widespread belief among Muslims that the Western world would have taken military action if the Bosnians were Christian. I am sad to report that they are wrong.

In 1974, the Greek Orthodox Christians of Cyprus were subjected to "ethnic cleansing" as a result of Turkey's brutal invasion. Muslim Turkey occupied the best part of the island, killed thousands of civilians, and made refugees out of 200,000 people - almost half of the island's population.

While the Western nations condemned the invasion with just as much fervor as they now condemn Serbian actions, it was not long before the United States resumed its foreign aid to Turkey, in effect subsidizing its occupation of northern Cyprus.

Eighteen years later, the people of Cyprus have dozens of United Nations resolutions and positive policy statements from important nations, but their land is still divided. Demetrios Matsakis, Takoma Park, Md.

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