From the article;
Good.

The second biggest cheer from the stadium at the 2000 Sydney Olympics was for the independent atheletes from the province of East Timor. While the biggest cheer was reserved for the Aussies (of course :cool:) I still remember vividly that the four guys from Timor Leste got a massive round of applause, and didn't the Indons look snakey :E.

"No one in Jakarta forgets how Canberra turned on Indonesia in 1999 and, as they see it, set out to humiliate them over East Timor."


Then it partly makes up for Australia turning a blind eye to the original invasions
and the killing of the Balibo Five !

Younger people here might not know that the President of Indonesia travelled to Townsville (of all places) to meet with Gough Whitlam around late Oct early Nov 75, where Whitlam let him know Australia would have no objection to the Indonesians invading East Timor after the Portuguese withdrawal. Whitlam had been deservedly given the boot by John Kerr by the time the Indons actually invaded on (how aptly) Dec 7th, but it was Whitlam who told them Australia would look the other way.

Even the ALP didn't want an Asian Cuba on Australia's doorstep, which is exactly the way an independent Fretlin-run Timor was perceived to become with the Soviet Union still very much in place. To be fair to Whitlam, I expect Malcolm Fraser would have said exactly the same thing to the Indonesians.

Andu

When were the F-111's looked at as a possible option
if a run to Indonesia was required.

I have heard rumours before, just wondering if you knew more.

On more than one occasion, 500N. Wish I could say more. (I've deleted three attempts to do so. Perhaps there's someone out there who feels he can.)

What I can say is that all the 'experts' who say the Trublewun was useless and a huge waste of money could not be more wrong - and the one group of people who know that for a fact ran/run a government not south east of Darwin.

Andu

I have read about it as well and heard from people in the mil
when I was in.

I think it is out there, I just thought I'd ask as opposed to google.

"What I can say is that all the 'experts' who say the Trublewun was useless and a huge waste of money could not be more wrong"

Didn't the Libya bombing raid open people's eyes to the "Trublewun" ?

Maxine McKew jumps on Rudd - what a turnaround
 

Interesting - Maxine McKew jumps on Rudd - what a turnaround.

"In a new chapter to her memoir – Tales from the Political Trenches – Ms McKew has reportedly written that Mr Rudd "went off the deep end" with some of his quick fix policies in the 2013 election campaign."


Kevin Rudd protege Maxine McKew turns on her former mentor

I did know that, though not all the details. Many lefty types were/are very critical of that decision, even though it was made by Gough.

I'd heard similar rumours as 500N, so it sounds like you have an interesting story http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ilies/cool.gifhttp://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/cwm13.gif.As you say though, probably better not put on here, lest the men in white Falcons come and pay you a visit...:}

Would Indonesia ever have forgiven Australia if we had flown
F111's against them, even if it was only flying one down the runway ????

You couldn't make this up.

I disagree 7x7. That is the sort of hyperbolic anecdote that seems very easy to make up.

chuboy

The thing is though, similar things have been heard numerous times,
not that containers have been sent but "I don't want to go to XYZ Island,
I want to go to Australia".

Sometimes with comments about how good it is !!!

A fair few of these AS are not poor.

It's not actually a requirement. Maybe that's why they're getting persecuted; that was certainly so for many Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s.

So be it.

It doesn't excuse them from coming in via the right channels.

"that's why they're getting persecuted"


I think very few people in Aus would object to genuine refugees, AS coming in, even in maybe larger numbers if the Gov't deemed it so, IF they came in via the right channels.

Well put me down as one of the few. I don't wish to live with the poor and uneducated from pissant countries.

Cheers

Owen

Not often I find someone with more "extreme" views than me.

You might put a tin foil hat on, expect the lefties to give you a going over ;)

Well, Owen, with an attitude like that I'd be very surprised if any of the refugees would want to be anywhere near you.

You must lead a very lonely existence. :E

"Owen, expect the Lefties to give you a going over" ....... Incoming, here's Ken !

And yet there they are, still paying unscrupulous people smugglers huge amounts of money in order to get closer to Mr Meaney.:}

Boz,

No, not a Leftie. Just an ordinary, fair-minded Ozmate with a strong sense of justice! :ok: