Bosnian Serbs Turn on President, NATO

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BRCKO, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Several American injuries were reported during violent attacks today on NATO peacekeeping forces in this Serb-controlled town. The attacks were fueled in part by the belief that the Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic has "sold her soul to the devil" by co-operating with the men in blue berets. And with the former president and indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic waiting in the wings, this is not the best time for Plavsic to be losing her grip on power.

"Plavsic would probably be finished if NATO hadn't made it clear that they were not going to tolerate attacks on her", says TIME's Central Europe Bureau Chief Massimo Calabresi. "On the other hand, she doesn't want to be seen as doing NATO's bidding. The problem is that she needs NATO's help so badly now that she's not likely to turn it down."

Pro-Karadzic radio stations encouraged stone-throwing crowds in Brcko and Bijeljina, by reporting that NATO is acting as an "occupation force" at Plavsic's request. Judging by the results, this propaganda is so powerful that Plavsic's call for Karadzic to stand trial as a war criminal pale into insignificance.