In Bosnia, the U.S. Military Gets a Stop and Shop
As the Pentagon weighed deploying several thousand ground troops
to Kosovo, an event in nearby Bosnia last week highlighted just
how wrong the Clinton administration was when in 1995 it assured
Congress that troops would not stay there long. The Pentagon
opened what's basically a Wal-Mart PX at Task Force Eagle, the
central base for G.I.'s deployed in Bosnia. The 10,000-square-foot
facility is good for the morale of the troops, who are
restricted to the post for most of their time in Bosnia. The
store features souvenir mugs, Beanie Babies, T-shirts,
electronics, CDs -- the best-selling items -- and video rentals.
Because the troops at Eagle Base are often clad in their "battle
rattle" -- helmets, flak jackets and other gear -- the new store
boasts eigh-foot-wide aisles so soldiers turning around don't find
themselves staring down the barrel of a colleague's M-16. The
U.S. has set no deadline for the 6,900 U.S. troops in Bosnia to
come home, although their numbers continue to decline from a
peak of 20,000. "I believe we are going to need a permanent
presence of international troops," says Milorad Dodik, the
leader of the Bosnia Serbs. Well, at least they'll be able to
get clean underwear.