DATE=9/12/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON - TIMOR (L)
NUMBER=2-253776
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=AUCKLAND
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton has welcomed Indonesian
President B-J Habibie's decision to allow an
international peacekeeping force in East Timor to
restore order in the territory. Correspondent Deborah
Tate reports from Auckland, New Zealand, where Mr.
Clinton is attending an Asia-Pacific Economic summit.
TEXT: On his way to a meeting with APEC leaders Mr.
Clinton underscored the importance of deploying the
force soon.
The mission is to be led by Australia and made up
mostly of Asians.
Mr. Clinton says Australian officials have asked the
United States to provide logistical support.
/// CLINTON ACTUALITY ///
What we have been asked to do so far relates to
airlift, what countries are going to contribute
to troops - someone needs to take them to the
theater, transportation, communications,
intelligence, and the possibility of some
engineering work. All of that would require
some presence on the ground in East Timor, but
no one has asked for any combat troops.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Clinton says details are still to be worked out,
and require extensive consultations with Congress.
But the President may face an uphill battle in selling
the plan to lawmakers. Many in the Republican-led
Congress are concerned about the number of
peacekeeping missions the United States has undertaken
in recent years - fearing that defense resources are
being strained.
Mr. Clinton says U.S. troops should work closely with
the Indonesians, but he says the Indonesian military
should not have a say in the composition of the
mission.
Neb/dat/gm
12-Sep-1999 20:08 PM EDT (13-Sep-1999 0008 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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