Military Spending: Bosnia 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-sq.-ft. 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--its best-selling item--and video rentals. Because the troops...