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As the Bosnian Serbs reject another peace plan, can mediators muster the will to pressure the naysayers?

The Bosnian Serbs wanted to just say no. They did not intend to accept the U.S-European proposal for partitioning war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time they preferred not to proclaim themselves the main obstacle to peace. So after two days of secret discussions last week, the Serbs' self- appointed legislature in Pale sent a written reply, coyly sealed in a pink envelope, to the international mediators in Geneva. It turned out to be a no masquerading as a maybe: without giving a straight answer, the Serbs called for "further work" on the proposed map and other issues.

The map...

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