International Force for East Timor

The International Force East Timor (International Force East Timor INTERFET ) was a multinational security force, which was commissioned by the United Nations in order to stabilize the security situation and humanitarian crisis in East Timor between 1999 and 2000 until the arrival of the official UN peacekeepers. INTERFET was under the command of Major General Peter Cosgrove Australian. Deputy was the Thais Songkitti Jaggabatara.

History

Given the crisis in East Timor in 1999, the United Nations decided on 15 September 1999 unanimously the UN Resolution 1264 which allowed an international peacekeeping force to protect the population of East Timor from further terrorist. The security force with the strongest contingents from Australia, the USA, Thailand and New Zealand had to see the task for peace and security and to restore public order. It should also support the UN civilian mission UNAMET and the orderly return of refugees be allowed. Triggered the violence the independence referendum of 30 August 1999, in which spoke out 78.5 % of the population of the occupied East Timor for independence from Indonesia. Pro- Indonesian militias and the armed forces of Indonesia tried to intimidate with violence the population. 2,000 people died, three quarters of the population was displaced and 75 % of the infrastructure was destroyed.

On 20 September 1999, the first Australian units landed at Dili airport and controlled, after minor clashes with the pro-Indonesian militias in the region. Many members of the population, but also many members of the militia, fled to the mountains or the western part of the island. From there, the militia led sporadic raids, mainly on the southern part of the border, which was controlled by the New Zealand Army. As these raids were repelled and the Indonesian support was terminated due to international pressure, the militia dispersed. At their departure they torched yet from many houses. The exclave of Oecusse was pacified by the INTERFET in October. Indonesia declared the end of October the cast for invalid and with the UN resolution 1272, the UN Transitional Administration UNTAET was seized on October 25, from 14 February 2000 to organize the reconstruction of the country and settle INTERFET. On February 28, INTERFET handed over the responsibility to the UNTAET. But refugees were still being held in West Timor months after the official handover to the UN peacekeeping mission in camps and murdered. At a conference on 17 December 1999 in Tokyo, Japan grants totaling over 417 million euros have been pledged.

The use of the INTERFET ended with the transfer of responsibility to the peacekeepers ( Peace Keeping Forces) UNTAET on 28 February 2000.

Participant

A total of 9,900 soldiers from 17 countries were initially involved in the INTERFET. The following countries participated in INTERFET: Australia, Brazil, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Canada, Kenya, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States. Later, Portugal and four other countries were added.

Potentially you could see even a threat to the INTERFET by Indonesian armed forces, so they had located an Indonesian submarine in the East Timorese waters. To counter possible threats by the Indonesian armed forces, the following ships of the INTERFET were assumed as a Marine Association: The cruiser USS Mobile Bay, the destroyer HMS Glasgow, the frigates HMNZS Te Kaha, HMNZS Canterbury, FNS Glorious First, FNS Vendemiaire, HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Darwin, HMAS Anzac, HMAS Sydney and not -called U- boats. Later, other ships were used, including those from Italy, Canada, Portugal, Singapore, and Thailand.

Furthermore, stood in support of INTERFET combat aircraft of the Australian and New Zealand air force available. These were to Australian F/A-18, F -111 and New Zealand A- 4K. There were also Australian reconnaissance Lockheed P-3.

To Australia with 4,400 soldiers Thailand presented with 1,600 men, the second-largest contingent. From the Philippines came a humanitarian task force, which was supplemented by a medical team in West Timor.

On September 16, 1999, the German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, the German Bundestag before the plan to send a medical contingent of the Armed Forces in support of peacekeepers and other construction aids in the amount of 511 million euros. On 7 October 1999, the Bundestag, approved the deployment of the medical contingent of up to 100 soldiers to Darwin in Australia. Defence Minister Rudolf Sharping then ordered the deployment of the German Air Force quota ( DtLwKtg ) East Timor. The Air Force stationed two transport aircraft of the type C-160 Transall with MEDEVAC equipment of the Air Transport Wing 63 from scorn and the Air Transport Wing 62 from Wunstorf together with specialists in Darwin. The German task force was assumed on 17 October INTERFET. The first mission took place on 21 October 1999, when injured INTERFET soldiers and a civilian UN staff in Dili were evacuated.

The " INTERFET Frog "

In 2008, allegations of Timorese farmers known Australian soldiers were brought in 1999 cane toads to Timor to fight poisonous snakes. Also about an unwanted introduction of poison toads by military and auxiliary transport that apply in Australia as a pest, it has been speculated. The called by the locals " INTERFET Frog " toad eats chicken house and threatened with their strong venom also people and wildlife. President José Ramos -Horta, therefore, demanded that Australia support in the fight against toad. However, Australian experts identified on a photo to INTERFET Frog as Asian black scars toad, which propagates in recent years from the Asian mainland in Indonesia.

414024
de