Optimism Prevails, But Solution Evasive in U.S. Rift Over Court

International diplomats are feverishly working on reversing a United States veto that would end the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Bosnia at midnight Wednesday.

The U.S. veto is tied to its rejection of the newly-established International Criminal Court. American officials said they want American diplomats and soldiers working on U.N. peacekeeping missions to be immune from prosecution in the Hague-based court.

If they don't meet the deadline, the U.S. has declared it will veto the continuation of the mission, an action that could deal a heavy blow to the stability of the region.

European and UN leaders have given a lukewarm response to a US proposal that would allow them and the four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to veto prosecutions of their citizens in the criminal court. There are 15 members in all on the security council, but only five that hold permanent positions.

Confident in compromise

Diplomats both in the EU and the US appeared confident that the Bosnian peacekeeping mission would not be jeopardized. The 1,500-strong mission, including 46 Americans, is responsible for maintaining and building up law enforcement in the former war-torn region.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called his counterpart in Bosnia Tuesday and assured him the US wouldn't let the U.N. peacekeeping mission end.

"Mr. Powell confirmed to me that Americans will not leave with the job unfinished," said Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija on Tuesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirmed as much, saying the United States would not abandon its peacekeeping commitments wholesale. But Rumsfeld said America would carefully review the importance of its missions, spread out in eight regions around the world, on a case-by-case basis.