UN Mission Running Out of Time

The clock is ticking down on the United Nations Bosnia mission politicians and analysts say is crucial to the stability of the region.

The United States ambassador to the UN has promised to veto the mission Thursday morning, if the UN doesn't guarantee US soldiers immunity from the newly-created International Criminal Court. The United States fears US soldiers could fall victim to "malicious" prosecutions by enemies of the US.

The prospect that the 1,500-strong policing mission could be called off by a US veto has sent diplomats in Brussels, New York and Washington working into overdrive to find a solution. The popularity of nationalist politicians make new conflict a very real possibility in Bosnia-Hercegovina, which greatly depends on the policing mission and the 18,000-strong NATO force there to stabilize the 7-year-old fragile peace.

The NATO force is most likely not in danger, but the end of the UN mission could "ruin" everything Bosnia has accomplished since the end of the Bosnian war in 1995, said Bosnian Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic.

Analysts agree. Though the US only has 46 officers involved, the UN mission greatly relies on America's political clout and logistical and intelligence support, analysts and diplomats told the BBC.

Fearing a backyard blow-up

Europe, in particular, is nervous about plunging the region in its "backyard" into crisis again. The European Union is actually slated to take control over the UN policing mission in January. The mission is responsible for monitoring and training Bosnian law enforcement officers who will eventually succeed them. But diplomats said the EU would not be able to take over the mission effectively before then.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he has been having intensive conversations with US Secretary of State Colin of Powell to try and avoid the US pullout.

The UN mission deadline originally ran out on Monday. But the US agreed to a proposal in the UN security council that would delay the decision for another 72 hours.

US soldiers, US courts

American officials maintain that they don't want it to seem as if they're abandoning Bosnia or are giving their personnel free reign. Rather, they don't want US servicemen and women prosecuted in foreign courts by judges who may have something against the United States.

"People worry that with this current international anti-American climate a judge will at some point try to prosecute a US pilot as a war criminal because of a badly-dropped bomb," Michael O'Hanlon, an expert at the Brookings Institution told DW-TV. "That would go against the point of such missions and would also be unfair."

But should they US not get its way, many fear the very future of such missions would be in danger. As a member of the UN security council, the United States gets to veto decisions made by the council on peacekeeping missions.

"The world cannot afford a situation in which Security Council is deeply divided on such an important issue which may have implications for all UN peace operations," UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told reporters.

The UN mission in Sarajevo said they are optimistic a compromise will be reached before Thursday morning's deadline. German officials share that hope.

Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said the government was hoping the two sides could reach a solution by Wednesday. Though one must respect the decision the US has taken, Fischer said he hoped the Bush administration would engage in some "long-term" thinking on their decision.