Don't be ridiculous, Mark. Yugoslavia was socialist and on it's way to democracy anyway. Between Yito's death and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Yugoslav communism had already transitioned to socialism. The same reformers who eventually threw out Milosevic, would have simply done it sooner if there had been no wars. And the only time that "Yugoslavia was hostile to the US" was when Tito was alive, and ironically the US gave Tito strongest support. The Serbs had always be pro-US.
Bosnia and Croatia's wartime presidents, Izetbegovic & Tudjman, were NAZIs -- plain and simple. Izetbegovic had been an Islamofascist during WWII and continued to be one until his death. Tudjman thanked God that his "wife was neither a Serb nor a Jew" and this is his legacy to future generations of Croats.
" Yugoslavia....was.. a way-station for terrorists such as Mohammed Abbas of Achille Lauro infamy.
And Bosnia, where Abbas was hidden from authorities, still is "a way station for terrorists" -- or more acurately described in the PBS documentary, "a pipeline for Al Qaida forces going to fight in Iraq" The difference is that there is no control to stop these Islamofascists anymore, because the Muslims in Bosnia are in control for now -- until the next war comes.
Your argument is intellectually appealing, however in the real world and on the ground, it makes absolutely no sense. All we have done is to empower the cultural enemies of our way of life and cause a bloodletting that hadn't been seen since WWII in the process.
That's the propaganda talking point. Here's the reality:
Serbia and Saddam Hussein were allies.
Serbia, Iraq want united anti-U.S. front
Yugoslavia's Arms Ties to Iraq Draw U.S. Scrutiny
Saddam's Serb Supplier: How our last enemy has been arming our next one.
And Slobo & his wife combined to be the biggest political recipient of Saddam's oil bribes in Europe. The Yugo Socialist Party received vouchers for 1,000,000 barrels and the Yugo Left party received 9.5 million; those organizations are headed by Mr. and Mrs. Milosevic, respectively.
Hooking up with Yasser
Serbia was cozying up with Qadaffi before his rehabilitation:
Yugoslavia: Firms Helped Libya Acquire Cruise Missiles, U.S. Says
Gaddafi Given Yugoslavia's Top Medal By Milosevic
And the Iranians have a new friend!
Iran-Serbia Security Cooperation Agreement
And there's more to come as the documents captured in Baghdad continue to be translated. The Iraqi Perspectives Report prepared by the U.S. military details Serb missions to Saddam Hussein in 2001 (post-Milosevic and post 9/11 by the way) intended to help Iraq kill Americans. Here's one of the gems from that report:
"In a meeting with the leader of the Serb Radical Party in 2001, Saddam discussed how he was not impressed with the "Imperialist Tactics" of the United States because, in his opinion, Serbia was able to withstand them. Captured Iraqi document dated 12 December 2001, "Meeting Minutes between Saddam Hussein and Leader of Serb Radical Party."