Serbs kill again in Sarajevo

[Wounded child] September 2, 1995

From Correspondent Jackie Shymanski

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- An 8-year-old boy became yet another casualty in the Bosnian capital Saturday. He was killed and several others were wounded when a rifle-propelled grenade exploded in a Sarajevo suburb. The weapon is not included in a heavy weapons ban that is supposed to protect the city.

But the U.N. multi-national brigade did react when Bosnian Serbs shelled a U.N. checkpoint. The rapid reaction force fired 24 rounds of its 120mm mortar in retaliation.

It was the only action taken Saturday by the joint U.N./NATO forces as the pause in NATO airstrikes stretched into a second day.

NATO commander Adm. Leighton Smith met with U.N. General Bernard Janvier to determine the next step. Talks between the United Nations and the Bosnian Serb military leadership failed to produce results.

Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic still refuses to comply with U.N.conditions to end the attacks, namely the withdrawal of heavy weapons and lifting the siege of Sarajevo. Instead, he came up with his own conditions: no more NATO attacks and a guarantee that Bosnian government forces will not attack if there is a withdrawal.

The Bosnian government rejected the demands outright.

[Haris Silajdzic] "I don't think (Mladic) can make any conditions," said Bosnian Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic. "That time is past. I think there should be more NATO air strikes if they don't withdraw their heavy weapons unconditionally."

That's what the air raids were intended to accomplish. But the political process seems to have taken over where the use of force left off.

U.S. diplomats continue to push their peace deal, with the first negotiations between the warring sides to begin next week. But the Serbs could back out if there are more bombings. The Bosnian government says it may not come to Geneva if more isn't done to lift the siege of Sarajevo. There's more tough talk than talk of peace.

Serbs kill again in Sarajevo

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