1999 East Timorese crisis
On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) came to the country. This ended the violence. Activists in Portugal, Australia, the United States, and elsewhere pressured their governments to take action. US President Bill Clinton eventually threatened Indonesia, that the IMF loans would be stopped. Indonesia was in deep economic troubles already. The Indonesian government agreed to withdraw its troops and allowed a multinational force into Timor to stabilize the area. It was clear that the UN did not have sufficient resources to fight the paramilitary forces directly. Instead, the UN authorised the creation of a multinational military force known as INTERFET (International Force for East Timor), with Security Council Resolution 1264. 23 nations sent troops, about 11,000 people in total. The force was led by Major-General Peter Cosgrove. Troops landed in East Timor on 20 September 1999.