Nato Preparing To Extend Bosnia Stay

Senior NATO officials, convinced that Bosnia will remain carved into ethnic enclaves for the foreseeable future, say they are drafting plans to prolong the NATO presence here by at least two years to prevent a resumption of fighting.

They contend that the Bosnia peace accord, which separated the warring factions into distinct enclaves, has not given international civilian authorities a broad enough mandate to establish a united and integrated Bosnia.

Unless a powerful NATO force remains in the country for two years, and perhaps longer, the fighting will probably resume, NATO analysts say.

The 53,000-member peacekeeping force was originally scheduled to begin withdrawing Dec. 20. The Clinton administration has promised that the approximately 16,000 U.S. troops here will all begin to go home at that point.