WASHINGTON, D.C. - Fourteen years ago, at the height of the Balkan wars, many feared that all of Southeastern Europe could be engulfed in sectarian violence. Thankfully, bold diplomacy in Dayton, Ohio, and NATO airstrikes over Sarajevo brought an end to genocide.

The worst predictions of the 1990s didn't come true. Unfortunately, neither did the vision of a prosperous Bosnia at peace with itself.

That job remains unfinished. As American, European and Bosnian officials discuss Bosnia's present political problems and future integration into Europe, the transatlantic community must once again act boldly to help the country overcome its grisly past.

Since the Dayton Accords ended the war, the international community has spent more than $17 billion in aid. And yet the...