SA: Timor operation good policy and well done says Cheney

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2000
SA: Timor operation good policy and well done says Cheney

ADELAIDE, April 20 AAP - Australia's leading role in the peacekeeping mission in East
Timor was well executed, former US Secretary of Defence Dick Cheney said today.

Mr Cheney, now the chief executive of Halliburton, a global engineering, energy and
construction group, said he considered the operation in East Timor to be a success.

"My personal view of the Timor operations is that it went very well," he said.

"Organising a military deployment on foreign turf is a complex undertaking and enterprise
and raises a lot of political, diplomatic questions as well as military questions.

"I must say I had admiration for the way of it was handled.

"I thought it was good policy and it was well done and I think that's the general view
of most Americans."

Mr Cheney was US secretary of defence from 1989 to 1993 in the cabinet of then President
George Bush.

As such he directed the Desert Storm military campaign in the Middle East.

He said just what Australia's next step should be as an influential nation in the Asian
region was a matter for the federal government.

"Where it goes from there (Timor) obviously is a matter primarily for Australia to
decide in terms of what your national interests are and what kind of role and responsibility
you want to accept in the region," Mr Cheney said.

"My expectation would be that Australia would continue to be a very much a significant
force for stability in the Asia-Pacific."

AAP tjd/adh

KEYWORD: TIMOR CHENEY

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