During the long siege of Sarajevo, more than 50 were killed or injured every day and 97 percent of the city's buildings were destroyed or damaged.

For years, the American and European coalition in Bosnia tried to remain neutral and avoid influencing the outcome of the civil war. Perhaps because of that reluctance, Serbian leaders felt free to make a shocking and dramatic move in 1995: On their way to capture the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, they massacred thousands of refugees in UN "safe zones." In the town of Srebrenica in particular, more than 8,000 Muslim civilians were executed, and many others were tortured and raped as UN forces stood by and did nothing.

Embarrassed by their lack of action and horrified by the massacre, European leaders and President Clinton decided to move against Serbia. American planes bombarded Serbian forces with heavy airstrikes that they could not defend themselves against, and within weeks, the leaders of all three countries met to negotiate a truce and bring peace to Bosnia.

The sudden end of the Bosnian War was the direct result of American pressure: Even though American troops weren't present in large numbers, the power and technology of its Air Force was enough to end an international conflict.

Now that you know more about the conflicts in Somalia and Bosnia, click the Activity button below to access the Clinton's Conflicts Overseas worksheet, which will help you compare and contrast the two situations. When you have completed this worksheet, submit it to your teacher.

Finally, use the questions below to review American involvement in Bosnia: