Military Intervention

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- South Africa, in its first post-apartheid military intervention, yesterday sent troops to end political unrest in the South African-encircled mountain kingdom of Lesotho.Five South African soldiers were killed and 11 wounded as they met strong resistance while taking control of military bases in the independent country. Unconfirmed reports said 16 Lesotho soldiers were killed, with up to 50 civilians injured.About 700 South Africans troops secured the royal palace, home of King Letsie III, the parliamentary building, the central business district and the residential area favored by politicians and diplomats, according to the defense ministry in Pretoria.

Washington.--The Washington Post-ABC poll released last week confirmed that public confidence in President Clinton's handling of our foreign affairs has declined sharply, with only 40 percent approving and a bare 13 percent saying they feel the President has a clear foreign policy. Confidence will decline further if Mr. Clinton acts on his repeated threats of military intervention in Haiti.Granted, the threats are not entirely clear: ''Given how many people are being killed and the abject misery of the Haitian people . . . [he has said]

THE Clinton administration is considering limited bombing raids on Serb positions in Bosnia and lifting the arms embargo against the Bosnian government.However welcome and even long overdue such actions may be, if the goal is to stop the genocide of the Muslims, neither step will be sufficient.There appears to be a consensus in Washington that full-scale military intervention, including ground troops, is the one thing that must be avoided at all costs. But such a commitment is also the one thing that is likely to make a real difference.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- In a sign of a growing rift between Haiti's top military leaders, the brother of the country's police chief hinted yesterday that the chief was willing to step down and called on the army leader to resign as well to prevent an invasion by the United States.In a radio interview, Evans Francois, a Haitian diplomat who is the brother of the widely feared police chief, Col. Joseph Michel Francois, said that his brother was "willing to make the necessary concessions."Mr.

DIPLOMACY DROPPED IN THE RUSH TO WARIn the Jan. 13 issue, prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and Kuwait, The Harford County Sun asked readers if they supported military intervention in the Persian Gulf to oust Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The responses we are publishing here are being mailed to Harford's two congressional representatives: Helen D. Bentley, R-2nd, and Wayne T. Gilchrest, R-1st.DIPLOMACY DROPPED IN THE RUSH TO WARFrom: Christiane SimonEdgewoodI do not support an offensive war in the Middle East.

CHICAGO -- During the Democratic debate in South Carolina, I heard something I never expected to hear: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton coming out against U.S. military intervention. At least I think she was coming out against U.S. military intervention. Asked if U.S. troops should be sent to Darfur, the New York Democrat made a valiant effort to dodge the question by declaiming about sanctions, divestment and U.N. peacekeepers. But when pressed, "How about American troops on the ground?" she finally said, a bit awkwardly, "American ground troops I don't think belong in Darfur at this time."

WASHINGTON -- In a signal that the Bush administration is inching toward possible military intervention in Yugoslavia, National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft said that the conflict in the Balkans could soon become a threat to the security of the United States and its European allies."

What happens when a brutal regime gets replaced by an alternative and largely unknown entity? Exhibit A: Libya. Shortly after Moammar Gadhafi bumped his head on a bullet, the "rebels" took over and promptly declared Sharia law. It's a start -- I guess. Though a start of what, no one's really quite sure. This week, a new set of Libyan "rebels" has emerged to replace the old ones, seizing control of Tripoli airport and diverting flights. It's just like the game Whac-a-Mole: Knock one down, and five more pop up. They may sort themselves out and gradually get the hang of democracy, or they may just remain a set of tribal factions fighting for supremacy from now until eternity.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Kweisi Mfume of Baltimore declared yesterday that President Clinton's threat to send U.S. troops to Haiti "should have been there all along," given the violence being inflicted by that nation's military rulers.Charging that Haitians are "being hacked to death and fed to animals" while the United States futilely calls for change, Mr. Mfume, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was among several members of Maryland's delegation who applauded Mr. Clinton's newly hardened stance.

SCRAMBLING to revive its moribund Haiti policy, the Clinton administration has decided to rule out a compromise with the country's military leaders and to broaden economic sanctions.The one certain effect of this new policy will be to greatly increase the possibility of U.S. military intervention.Faced with the tightened embargo, which will go into effect next week, Haiti's rulers will not just throw up their hands and go. They will engage in political maneuvering, such as Wednesday's installation of the 80-year-old Supreme Court Justice Emile Jonassaint as "provisional president."