NATO PUNISHES SERBS FOR NAPALM ATTACK

In NATO's biggest attack in its 45-year history, 30 warplanes today bombed a base where Serbs equipped planes with napalm bombs used last week against the Bosnians in Bihac. TheNATO raidfollowed Saturday's U.N. resolution specifically authorizing an attack on Serb-held Croatia, the airfield location. U.S., British, French and Dutch jets were deployed in the air strike -- NATO's seventh since the Bosnian war started in April 1992 -- which will put the base out of commission for just a month. Yet, it represented a dramatic departure from previous "pinprick" NATO attacks in which one or two warplanes bombed individual pieces of Serb hardware, saysTIME Brussels Bureau Chief Jay Branegan. "NATO is quite pleased to be able to flex some muscle after a year of complaining to the United Nations, which has always wanted to minimize the use of force to protect its own troops," says Branegan.The successful attack prompted praise from President Clinton -- who called it "a good step in the right direction" -- and from U.S. allies like the United Kingdom. In Serbia, where the government since August has kept its distance from Bosnian Serbs, a top level minister reportedly slammed the U.N. calling the raid "a brutal reprisal." On the battlefield, U.N. forces went on alert for reprisals from Serbs and started resupplying troops in Bihac -- who had enough rations for just five more days.Post your opinion on theInternationalbulletin board.