Sir, - I was appalled to read James Young's statement (September 21st): "It required the US to take a lead role and insist that Europe commit troops" with regard to the atrocities in Bosnia. How anyone can be proud of any country's delayed and antipathetic response to the four-year siege endured by Sarajevan civilians is beyond me.
Due to the arms embargo imposed by the international community, in which the US was, no doubt, proud to take a "lead role", only the defenders of their own city were disallowed to attain arms; 8,037 citizens were killed in 1992 alone.
Unlike Sarajevo, where, six years after the war ended, children still go to school in vacant rooms in bullet-riddled apartment blocks, the city of New York can continue in all its wealth and power. And while we grieve the losses of the American people , we sit back and choose to ignore the hundreds of thousands of refugees trying desperately to flee Afghanistan because of the threat of a US attack. - Yours, etc.,
Nicola Thompson, Skerries, Co Dublin.