Lawmakers Urge Tougher Bosnia Stance

ONCE again the United States is shaking a fist and telling Serbia to cease aggression, or else. But this time the US might really mean it.

The Clinton administration is coming under concerted pressure from key members of Congress to take a more forceful approach to the Bosnian crisis.

On Tuesday, the National Security Council met to reconsider options previously ruled unacceptable, such as supplying arms to the beleaguered Bosnian government, or US air strikes against Serb artillery positions.

"Clearly, we're at a turning point in connection with the Bosnia situation," Secretary of State Warren Christopher told Congress Tuesday.

Sen. Joseph Biden (D) of Delaware, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been among the most vociferous lawmakers. The situation in Bosnia is now so dire that diplomacy will not prevent Serbs from doing what they want, according to Mr. Biden, who recently returned from a trip to the region.

The peace plan pushed by international mediators, Lord David Owen and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, has been "incredibly counterproductive," Biden said.

By proposing to split Bosnia into semiautonomous provinces, it encouraged Serbs to grab as much territory as they could so they could argue that their area of dominance should be larger.