Over the years I was sceptical about Irish participation in offensive actions abroad but I changed my mind decisively during the break-up of Yugoslavia. It became painfully clear then that Europe was incapable of giving any real meaning to its foreign policy. The EU could agree that certain things should be done in Bosnia, for example, but until the former US President, Bill Clinton, gave his say so, we were quite incapable of putting them into action. That situation reached its most grotesque and brutal zenith when the EU forces present at Srebrenica and Goradje proved incapable of preventing the wholesale slaughter of the menfolk of both Bosnian towns. This was notwithstanding the fact that both areas were designated as UN safe havens.