Caught in the Crossfire

Summary: Caught in the Crossfire is an in-depth and often moving look at how Canadian soldiers keep peace in war-torn former Yugoslavia. Seen through the soldiers' eyes, it pays tribute to a community of men and women who have earned the respect of all sides in this bloody dispute. Yet they have received little recognition at home. In one segment after another, Caught in the Crossfire introduces us to soldiers like commanding officer Lt. Col. Ray Wlasichuk, a 23-year veteran with the Canadian Armed Forces whom we see making contact with local warlords on the first day of his tour of duty in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We meet local Serb commander Nisho Miric, with whom Canadian peacekeepers negotiate for the safe transfer of an elderly Muslim woman who unwittingly entered into Serb-held territory. We see a prisoner exchange brokered by Canadian liaison officers where men shake hands who only a month earlier had been trying to kill each other. Throughout Caught in the Crossfire, we gain an awareness of the difficult work of our peacekeepers, and of the successes that have resulted from our Canadian policy of refusing to take sides in the conflict.