Triumph of Self-Determination: Operation Stabilise and United Nations Peacemaking in East Timor

(Hardback)

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Based on first-person accounts, interviews, declassified documents, and secondary background sources, this book gives readers insight into the significant actions and innovative techniques of the struggle for East Timorese independence from 1999 to 2006. The book begins with a two-chapter historical overview of the circumstances that caused the United Nations to intervene in East Timor in 1999, and then continues with a detailed account of the referendum on independence and the military operations required to restore order after the Timorese people decided upon freedom from Indonesia. In the final three chapters, Ballard describes the actions taken to support the first national elections, the writing of a constitution, and the formation of a new national government in East Timor. The final chapter compares UN operations in East Timor to previous operations in Somalia, Eastern Europe and Haiti, and outlines key lessons for the future, including the critical importance of economic development and good governance in fledgling states

Reviews

"Ballard's comprehensive historical overview of the circumstances that led up to the United Nations intervention in East Timor in 1999. His description of the actions taken to support the first national elections, the writing of the Timorese constitution, and the formation of a new national government in East Timor provides rare insight into the creation of a new state in the 21st Century. Ballard captures the complexity of modern multinational peace operations and identifies how critically important to success good leadership, effective diplomacy and professionalism will be among members of the military during international interventions. In addition, this book also identifies several key lessons to be applied in future nation building endeavors, including the critical nature of economic development and the need to foster good governance in fledgling states. A must read for anyone interested in peace operations and the development of democracy in today's world."-Admiral Chris Barrie, Royal Australian Navy (Retired), Former Chief of the Defense Force, Australia

Author Bio

John R. Ballard is Professor of Strategic Studies at the National War College in Washington, D.C. A retired Marine Colonel and combat veteran of the Iraq War, Professor Ballard has lectured worldwide on military strategy, combat command, and multinational operations.