As the Yugoslavian tragedy staggers forward, the search for an end to the bloodshed is on.

"To be absolutely honest -- I don't see a clear answer to the conflict," said Simon Duke, assistant professor of political science.

Duke said the ramifications of the religiously and ethnically based conflict reach far beyond the borders of the small country.

"It's an area that has never really experienced peace," he said, adding that after the Soviet influence in Yugoslavia deteriorated, ethnic violence reignited.

David Myers, associate professor of political science, said the Serbs have been fighting for a "Greater Serbia" -- a nation in which all Serbs are united -- for more than 500 years, first resisting an invasion by the Ottoman Empire.

"The drive for 'Greater Serbia' started World War I," Myers said, citing the 1914 assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne in Sarajevo.

This year, the United Nations has had to police the area, a job that used to belong to individual imperial powers. So far, the best solution the United Nations has offered Bosnia is the Vance-Owen peace plan.

International negotiators Cyrus Vance and Lord Owen have toiled on a peace plan for five months, with frequent trips to the Balkans. Their plan divides Bosnia-Hercegovina into 10 ethnically mixed, largely autonomous provinces.

Muslims, Serbs and Croats each dominate in three provinces; the 10th is the city of Sarajevo, where the three groups once lived in harmony.

But the Clinton administration hesitated to support the plan, opting instead to work on its own solution.

The White House yesterday announced its strategy for ending ethnic warfare in Bosnia-Hercegovina and is prepared to commit U.S. troops to help ensure peace.

Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced a six-point peace initiative, but the role of the U.S. troop's in the process was unclear.

But Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Christopher called him and said that as many as 5,000 to 10,000 American troops could join a 40,000-member NATO force that might go to Bosnia under U.N. auspices once a new peace accord is concluded.

Penn State's Myers said negotiators are in a tough situation because if they stop the fighting now, they give Serbia an obvious advantage; if the fighting continues, the situation could become worse.

Myers said other countries could be drawn into the fighting, which is illustrated by statements from the Greek and Turkish governments.

If Serbia moves to "ethnically cleanse" Macedonia, Turkey said it would enter the conflict, and if Turkey enters the conflict, Greece said it would enter in response.

As long as the fighting continues, the possibility of other countries getting involved exists, Myers said.

"The idea is to at least stop the fighting," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.