Overview

A critical year in the history of peacekeeping, 1995 saw the transformation of the role of United Nations forces in Bosnia from being a protection force to being an active combatant under NATO leadership. This text presents an insider's account of the events that lead to that transformation, and ultimately unleashed NATO's awesome power as it moved from being a defence alliance to being a peace enforcer. The book interweaves personal experiences of everyday life in a war zone, with historical facts, as the author challaenges common views of war with his own political commentary. The book also challenges the depiction of the Bosnian government as that of a noble victim, arguing that the leaders of all three sides in the conflict were ""gangsters wearing coats and ties."" It examines the policies of various Western political and military leaders and gives an account of a pivotal phase of the war in Bosnia, a period that culminated with NATO's massive bombing of Bosnian Serb targets and ultimately led to the Drayton Peace Agreement.

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9780822321262

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Reviews

""The most illuminating of the latest additions to the burgeoning Balkan library is the short memoir by Phillip Corwin, who spent much of 1995 in Sarajevo as an American UN official. He describes what it was like to be there with brutal honesty and attacks all the participants with a sharp pen. ""The leaders of all the factions in Bosnia,"" he writes, ""were merely gangsters wearing coats and ties. The world community knew it, but seldom admitted it publicly."" As the corruption at the heart of the wretched Bosnian state is now revealed for all to see, it is refreshing to be reminded that some people read the writing on the wall at the time""--Richard Gott, New Statesman, 6 September, 1999 ""The largely untold 'other side' of the story focussing on the role of the Bosnian government is written with intense verve by a dedicated UN international civil servant coping with deep distrust, ethnic cleansing, cruelty, threats, and war. Corwin's service was in the tradition of Ralph Bunche, whose dedication to the UN and its charter set an example of integrity and commitment for other UN officials serving in peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations."" (Dr. Joseph J. Sisco, Chairman of the Academy of Diplomacy and former Under Secretary of State ) ""Philip Corwin's meticulous account of events in Bosnia shatters the well constructed myth of 'one victim one enemy.' With unsalable attention to detail and a sense of duty, this dedicated UN official unveils the behavior of senior Bosnian officials and their callous disregard of their own people's suffering. The author modestly presents his memoir as a 'source book, without which a thorough history of Bosnia cannot be written.' I may add, this is a first hand account that policymakers, too, will be well advised to read before they substitute images for reality in formulating policies and before they dispatch more American soldiers to distant places to settle civil wars that local demagogues have caused in their pursuit of power and greed."" (Donald M. Payne, U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey) ""Philip Corwin's book provides a useful antidote to the numerous portrayals of the war in Bosnia as a tidy melodrama featuring Serb aggressors and Muslim victims. Corwin's account of his role in Bosnia as an official of the United Nations offers graphic evidence that the political leaders of all three factions-including the Muslim-dominated government in Sarajevo-were corrupt, brutal, and manipulative. Although readers might justifiably question his positive assessment of the UN's performance, Corwin's first-hand observations will be valuable to anyone who wants to gain a greater understanding of the complex events in the former Yugoslavia."" (Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice President for Defense & Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute)

A highly critical, honest, and opinionated chronicle by a top United Nations official of the period that saw the UN's transformation from peace-keeper to peace-enforcer. During the spring and summer of 1995, Corwin served as the UN's chief political officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A firm believer in the UN's historic mission as international peacekeeper, he strove for impartiality in his work and expected the same of his employer. But as peace finally appeared possible, Corwin witnessed the UN's disturbing transition to the role of active combatant. His book, comprised of 1995 diaries and later commentaries, directly addresses this specific phase of the Bosnian war, which the author considers a turning point of lasting significance for the UN and international affairs. Corwin makes no attempt to disguise either his clear sympathy with the UN or his outright and direct criticism of - in fact, contempt for - other parties, foremost among them the international press (for their unobjective pro-Bosnian stance), the Bosnian government (for provoking NATO to enter the conflict and for rude treatment of the UN staff), and NATO (for fighting under the UN flag rather than its own and destroying UNPROFOR's integrity as a peacekeeping force ). Corwin does not mince words. The leaders of all the various factions in Bosnia were merely gangsters wearing coats and ties, he writes. Jocular and disdainful comments about the press are frequent: the UN staff dubbed the press the International Order of Reptiles; Corwin refers to CNN in his official faxes as Certainly Not Neutral; and reporter David Rohde, later held hostage by Bosnian Serbs, is described as an ambitious, peripatetic opportunist. Despite occasional descriptive excess, Corwin gives an honest account, clearly and succinctly explains his biases, and provides useful insight into key figures, episodes, and encounters during this pivotal phase. Trenchant observations on the Bosnian war of particular interest to those trying to make sense of the latest events in the Balkans. (Kirkus Reviews)

The most illuminating of the latest additions to the burgeoning Balkan library is the short memoir by Phillip Corwin, who spent much of 1995 in Sarajevo as an American UN official. He describes what it was like to be there with brutal honesty and attacks all the participants with a sharp pen. The leaders of all the factions in Bosnia, he writes, were merely gangsters wearing coats and ties. The world community knew it, but seldom admitted it publicly. As the corruption at the heart of the wretched Bosnian state is now revealed for all to see, it is refreshing to be reminded that some people read the writing on the wall at the time --Richard Gott, New Statesman, 6 September, 1999 The largely untold 'other side' of the story focussing on the role of the Bosnian government is written with intense verve by a dedicated UN international civil servant coping with deep distrust, ethnic cleansing, cruelty, threats, and war. Corwin's service was in the tradition of Ralph Bunche, whose dedication to the UN and its charter set an example of integrity and commitment for other UN officials serving in peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations. (Dr. Joseph J. Sisco, Chairman of the Academy of Diplomacy and former Under Secretary of State ) Philip Corwin's meticulous account of events in Bosnia shatters the well constructed myth of 'one victim one enemy.' With unsalable attention to detail and a sense of duty, this dedicated UN official unveils the behavior of senior Bosnian officials and their callous disregard of their own people's suffering. The author modestly presents his memoir as a 'source book, without which a thorough history of Bosnia cannot be written.' I may add, this is a first hand account that policymakers, too, will be well advised to read before they substitute images for reality in formulating policies and before they dispatch more American soldiers to distant places to settle civil wars that local demagogues have caused in their pursuit of power and greed. (Donald M. Payne, U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey) Philip Corwin's book provides a useful antidote to the numerous portrayals of the war in Bosnia as a tidy melodrama featuring Serb aggressors and Muslim victims. Corwin's account of his role in Bosnia as an official of the United Nations offers graphic evidence that the political leaders of all three factions-including the Muslim-dominated government in Sarajevo-were corrupt, brutal, and manipulative. Although readers might justifiably question his positive assessment of the UN's performance, Corwin's first-hand observations will be valuable to anyone who wants to gain a greater understanding of the complex events in the former Yugoslavia. (Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice President for Defense & Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute)

The most illuminating of the latest additions to the burgeoning Balkan library is the short memoir by Phillip Corwin, who spent much of 1995 in Sarajevo as an American UN official. He describes what it was like to be there with brutal honesty and attacks all the participants with a sharp pen. The leaders of all the factions in Bosnia, he writes, were merely gangsters wearing coats and ties. The world community knew it, but seldom admitted it publicly. As the corruption at the heart of the wretched Bosnian state is now revealed for all to see, it is refreshing to be reminded that some people read the writing on the wall at the time --Richard Gott, New Statesman, 6 September, 1999 The largely untold 'other side' of the story focussing on the role of the Bosnian government is written with intense verve by a dedicated UN international civil servant coping with deep distrust, ethnic cleansing, cruelty, threats, and war. Corwin's service was in the tradition of Ralph Bunche, whose dedication to the UN and its charter set an example of integrity and commitment for other UN officials serving in peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations. (Dr. Joseph J. Sisco, Chairman of the Academy of Diplomacy and former Under Secretary of State ) Philip Corwin's meticulous account of events in Bosnia shatters the well constructed myth of 'one victim one enemy.' With unsalable attention to detail and a sense of duty, this dedicated UN official unveils the behavior of senior Bosnian officials and their callous disregard of their own people's suffering. The author modestly presents his memoir as a 'source book, without which a thorough history of Bosnia cannot be written.' I may add, this is a first hand account that policymakers, too, will be well advised to read before they substitute images for reality in formulating policies and before they dispatch more American soldiers to distant places to settle civil wars that local demagogues have caused in their pursuit of power and greed. (Donald M. Payne, U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey) Philip Corwin's book provides a useful antidote to the numerous portrayals of the war in Bosnia as a tidy melodrama featuring Serb aggressors and Muslim victims. Corwin's account of his role in Bosnia as an official of the United Nations offers graphic evidence that the political leaders of all three factions-including the Muslim-dominated government in Sarajevo-were corrupt, brutal, and manipulative. Although readers might justifiably question his positive assessment of the UN's performance, Corwin's first-hand observations will be valuable to anyone who wants to gain a greater understanding of the complex events in the former Yugoslavia. (Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice President for Defense & Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute)

Author Information

Phillip Corwin held a number of posts during his twenty-seven years with the United Nations, including that of a speechwriter for former Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. After participating in peacekeeping missions in Haiti, Western Sahara, and Afghanistan, he became the UN’s chief political officer in Sarajevo. He is also the author of three collections of short stories and three books of poetry.

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