East Timor Intervention: A Retrospective on INTERFET

by John Blaxland (Editor), Peter Cosgrove (Contributor), Hugh White (Contributor)

Australia's involvement in the liberation of East Timor in 1999 was the most decisive demonstration of Australian influence in the region since World War II and the largest military contribution since the Vietnam War. Australian diplomacy and leadership shaped the events that led to the birth of Asia's newest nation.
East Timor Intervention looks at the crisis through the prism of key participants and observers on the ground and abroad, including Indonesia's martial law commander Kiki Syahnakri defending his record, the country's first president Xanana Gusmão on the resolution and poise of Timor's resistance fighters, Australia's Chief of Defence Force Chris Barrie on cobbling the force together, commander of the International Force Peter Cosgrove on the operation, and key policy adviser Hugh White on Canberra's policy contortions in the lead-up to the intervention.
This impressive collection includes significant new perspectives on Southeast Asian security affairs and the role Australia can play in regional security and stability.

348 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2015

About the author

John Blaxland is Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales.

His research interests concern intelligence and the security arms of government, Australian military history and strategy, defence studies, military operations, international relations, and Australia’s flag.

Reviews

[Luke Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a must read for Academic researchers and those who are currently serving in the armed forces. East Timorese , Australian , Indonesian and International perspectives are very successfully represented. I would invite the more general reader to take the time and consideration the title deserves as it could have equally been called historical lessons learned or unlearned.