City honours UN hero soldier

The Irish soldier responsible for transferring African dictator Charles Taylor to the International Court in Hague to answer charges of war crimes was last night honoured with a civic reception to mark his retirement.

Brigadier-General Paul Pakenham was in charge of Operation Lansdowne, the security operation which resulted in the transfer of Taylor to his trial at the Hague, which is ongoing.

Brig Gen Pakenham was working in Liberia with the UN four years ago when he came face to face with Taylor, whom he described as “a man of stature, in size (that is)”.