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Britain's queen honours Australia's East Timor hero

CANBERRA: Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Saturday bestowed the highest military award in Australia's honours system on Major General Peter Cosgrove, who commanded the Australian-led multinational force in East Timor.

At a ceremony at Government House in Canberra, Cosgrove was made a Companion in the military division of the Order of Australia.

"His leadership contributed significantly to the success of the multinational mission and provided the people of East Timor with hope and a new beginning," Australian Prime Minister John Howard said in a statement.

"I feel personally very proud and indeed honoured over receiving the award," Cosgrove told reporters after the ceremony. "But any leadership award is equally shared by everybody in the force."

Cosgrove left East Timor just over a month ago when his Internet international force formally handed over to United Nations peacekeepers, five months after going in to end bloodshed.

Cosgrove's force, which grew to 11,000 troops, was sent to East Timor after pro-Jakarta militias backed by Indonesian troops reduced the territory to ruins and killed hundreds of East Timorese following last August's vote for independence.

A total of 78 Australian Defence Force members are being honoured for their service in East Timor. Four service personnel and the commander of the civilian police contingent in East Timor, Alan Mills, were decorated along with Cosgrove by the queen, who is on a 16-day visit to Australia. The rest will receive their decorations at a later date. -Reuters