An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 36 | I n McKee Bks, Dublin, on 10 July 2018, Col Colm Doyle (retd) launched his long-awaited book, Witness to War Crimes - The Memoirs of an Irish Peacekeeper in Bosnia, which covers his unique service during the Balkan's War in the former Yugoslavia in 1991/92. In the early 1990s fighting that began with the collapse of the former Yugoslavia developed into the first major conflict in Europe since WWII. This book, edited by Kenneth Morrison, Professor of Modern Southeast European History at De Montfort University, Leicester, deals with a major element of this bitter conflict. In October 1991 the author, then Comdt Colm Doyle, was serving as one of the first European Community monitors in the midst of this appalling civil war. "Then almost immediately he became Head of the Monitor Mission in besieged Sarajevo. After six months he was appointed Personal Representative to Lord Carrington, Chairman of the Peace Conference on Yugoslavia. In this long overdue memoir, he describes his role mediating, negotiating and persuading political and military leaders of all sides to halt the seemingly inexorable path to all-out civil war. He arranged cease-fires, visited prisoner-of-war camps, extricated election monitors and organised hostage releases. With his unprecedented access, Doyle's personal account can claim to be one of the most significant insights to the brutal Bosnian War." Publishers, Merrion Press. DCOS Ops Maj Gen Kieran Brennan welcomed those present at the launch, which included members of Col Doyle's family and distinguished guests, including the acclaimed former BBC war correspondent, Martin Bell OBE, who wrote the introduction to the book. Maj Gen Brennan acknowledged the passing the previous day of Lord Peter Carrington, the man who had presided over the diplomatic talks in the former Yugoslavia with Comdt Doyle acting as his a personal representative. The DCOS spoke enthusiastically about Col Doyle's Defence Forces career, saying he was held in high esteem because of his leadership style. "Tonight is a testament to his overseas service in Bosnia, as well as being a pathfinder to Lebanon with 46 Inf Bn in 1978. This book is very timely as we celebrate 40 years of peacekeeping in Lebanon and our 60th year of continuous service with the UN." Martin Bell, who made his name covering wars and conflicts around the world, from Vietnam to Northern Ireland, spoke of meeting and interviewing Col Doyle during the Bosnian war. "What a wonderful man and book we honour tonight," he said. "It is a moving book, bringing us back to that time and the trials of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)." The ICTY, held in The Hague, was the first war crimes court created by the UN and the first international war crimes tribunal since Nuremberg. Col Doyle's first hand experiences made him a key witness at the ICTY's trials of former Serbian president, Slobodan Milošević, Bosnian-Serb military commander, General Ratko Mladić, and Bosnian-Serb leader, Radovan Karadžić, held in The Hague. Witness to War Crimes - The Memoirs of an Irish Peacekeeper in Bosnia, by Col Colm Doyle (retd), ISBN: 9781785371899, priced €24.99 (hardback), is published by Merrion Press (http://merrionpress.ie/), and is available from all good bookshops. WITNESS TO WAR CRIMES THE MEMOIRS OF AN IRISH PEACEKEEPER IN BOSNIA BY SGT WAYNE FITZGERALD - PHOTOS BY CPL LEE COYLE Pictured at the launch are Col Maureen O'Brien, Conor Graham (Merrion Press), Prof Kenneth Morrison, Col Colm Doyle (retd), Martin Bell and Maj Gen Kieran Brennan (DCOS Ops) Author, Col Colm Doyle (retd).

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