Paul R. Williams worked as a State Department lawyer and advised the Bosnians at the Dayton talks, as he now advises on Kosovo.

But while the Dayton talks were led by the Clinton Administration, the conference on Kosovo is notable for the absence of a top American official as the chief negotiator.

In the Dayton talks, Mr. Milosevic and other Bosnian Serb officials are representing that side.

The US Secretary of State Warren Christopher was also involved in pressing for Rohde's release at the Dayton talks.

At the Dayton talks of 1995, which ended the Bosnian war, he was still an accepted interlocutor.

The Bosnian Serbs have been at best suspicious of the Dayton talks, where they were represented by Slobodan Milosevic, the President of Serbia.

But American officials say privately that the Dayton talks may not go as far in guaranteeing the arrest of indicted war crimes suspects as the tribunal has asked.

The attacks drove the Serbian gunners who were pounding Sarajevo back from the city and led to the Dayton talks.

Until, that is, Condoleezza Rice took over this year as secretary of state and appointed Mr. Burns, who was spokesman at the Dayton talks, as a deputy.

Mr. Milosovic represented the Bosnian Serbs at the Dayton talks.