[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 37 (Monday, September 20, 1999)]
[Page 1752]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on United Nations Security Council Action on East Timor

September 15, 1999

    Late last night the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved 
Resolution 1264, which authorizes a multinational force to restore 
stability in East Timor, at the invitation of the Indonesian Government. 
Now we must move with purpose and dispatch to protect the innocent 
people whose lives are still threatened by those seeking to overturn the 
results of a fair vote. I welcome the passage of Resolution 1264 and 
look forward to working with the Government of Australia and others in 
the international community to put together an effective force. I have 
just been briefed by Admiral Blair of CINCPAC on our close cooperation 
with Australia, and I hope the force can deploy in a matter of days. The 
United States is prepared to contribute to this operation, and we are 
discussing with our Australian allies and the Congress an appropriate 
U.S. role.