Howard and then UN secretary-general Kofi Annan agreed Australia should lead a multinational force in East Timor, later dubbed Interfet, with Howard specifying Indonesian approval as a key condition for any mission.
Reflecting on 20 years since the East Timor Intervention.
UNSW Canberra marked the 20th anniversary of the INTERFET deployment with a one day conference held at Russell Offices in Canberra.
The speakers included former prime minister John Howard, the East Timorese Ambassador to Australia and former refugee, Abel Guterres, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC(Mil) CVO MC (Retd), former Queensland Governor and diplomat Penny Wensley, and senior ADF personnel and Defence Department staff.
East Timor 20 explored the enduring significance of the intervention for Australia’s operational preparedness, external relations and defence industry.
View the video series on our Youtube channel.