ON THE BRINK OF PEACE

Negotiators in Dayton appear close to a possible peace accord for the warring Balkan nations. Defense Secretary William Perry and National Security Adviser Anthony Lake flew to the talks at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Friday while Secretary of State Warren Christopher cut short his trip to the economic summit in Tokyo in order to get back to Dayton that evening. "It's make-or-break at this point," says TIME's Douglas Waller. "They've basically agreed on the major issues and are now quibbling on the minor ones. They are very close, and the only thing missing is the political will to sign. That's why you see all the heavyweight cabinet visits now, to help give them the will to sign." Waller says that Christopher will start lobbying the parties hard on Saturday. "The whole deal could still fall apart," he says. "But they are hoping for closure on this by Saturday night; possibly Sunday or even Monday." The formal treaty signing would occur in Paris two weeks after the Balkan leaders initial the accord. And it's in that two-week period that President Clinton would have to convince Congress to fund the deployment of up to 20,000 American soldiers to be part of a 60,000-member peace keeping force.