This story and
its photographs are the copyright of the Australian Department of Defence. Permission to
reproduce may be sought from the Editor, Army Newspaper Unit by contacting armynews@defencenews.gov.au
This story was
filed by Cpl Brian Hartigan from Dili, East Timor and published in ARMY Magazine in March
2000 as a side bar to the story -- TIMOR: Terror and brutality fail
Blue berets assume control
AT THE time of writing UNTAET is about to assume responsibility
for security in the country, conducting a relief-in-place across the theatre with the
Australian-led INTERFET. The first transfer of troops commenced in Sector East on February
1 with the entire process scheduled to be completed by February 23. An estimated 70 per
cent of this takeover, however, is a simple matter of the existing force changing hats to
the familiar sky-blue UN coiffure, thus preserving much of the experience and expertise
built up over the first five months.
Australian involvement will remain high, at around 2000
personnel, while command of the 23-nation, 8500-strong peacekeeping force, will transition
to the Philippines in the persona of Maj-Gen Jaime de Los Santos.
The UNTAET Peacekeeping Force (PKF) will continue to operate in
current areas of responsibility with roles and mandate virtually identical to INTERFET.
UNTAET’s mandate and influence, however, is far wider reaching than just security
with the delicate and complicated process of nation building already well under way. In
essence, the UNTAET PKF is just one small but vital player in a very big ballgame.