Defence Minister Max Bradford today welcomed Indonesia’s decision to accept assistance from a UN-mandated peacekeeping force in East Timor.

“While New Zealand awaits a Security Council Resolution, and a possible time-line to send peacekeepers to East Timor, preparation continues.

“We are working closely with Australia, but the nature of any New Zealand contribution will be determined by what the UN requires,” Mr Bradford said.

Mr Bradford confirmed the United States had offered New Zealand logistical support for any New Zealand peacekeeping force and that a six-person Defence Force team had been despatched to Brisbane last night to work with Australian Defence Force planners.

A New Zealand contingent of 350-plus personnel, including Iroquois helicopters, medical and logistical support goes on 14-day standby from tomorrow to go to East Timor, if asked.

Senior defence staff were investigating options of making New Zealand forces available earlier than this, Mr Bradford said.

A RNZAF C130 Hercules aircraft sent to Darwin to assist with the evacuation of UN staff from Dili had flown to the East Timor capital yesterday to airlift UN staff back to Australia.

A second Hercules remained on standby in New Zealand. HMNZS Te Kaha remained on station off Darwin and would soon be joined by the Navy’s tanker HMNZS Endeavour, Mr Bradford said.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>