A BELATED CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR MILOSEVIC

Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic finally got the carrot that brought him to the negotiating table in Dayton when President Bill Clinton officially suspended economic and military sanctions against Yugoslavia on Thursday, ending a three-year boycott of the country. Lifting of sanctions that had crippled his county had been a crucial issue for Milosevic, who in effect promised to deliver the Bosnian Serbs in return for a lifting of sanctions. Key to his decision, Clinton said, were assurances that the U.S. would be able to monitor Serb compliance with the Dayton accords: "Before agreeing to sanctions suspension," Clinton said, "we insisted on a credible reimposition mechanism to ensure no backsliding on the commitments made by the Serbs." Clinton made it clear that his military commanders in Bosnia would advise him if that backsliding occurs. Ensuring compliance should be easy, says Pentagon correspondent Mark Thompson. "Everybody -- Serbs, Croats and Muslims -- has lines they've got to go behind in the next few weeks, after which we should be able to tell who does what. With 20,000 men on the ground, and aircraft constantly crossing overhead, we should be able to keep a pretty good eye on whether there are any movements of troops or ammunition that would be in violation of the agreement."