East Timor and the US

The United States knew and approved of Indonesia's invasion of East Timor in 1975, which led to a 24-year occupation of the former Portuguese colony, according to newly declassified documents.

Released this week by the independent Washington-based National Security Archive, the documents showed that US officials were aware of the invasion plans nearly a year in advance.

They adopted a "policy of silence" and even sought to suppress news and discussions on East Timor, including credible reports of Indonesia's massacres of Timorese civilians, according to documents....

...Thirty years after the Indonesian invasion, the formerly secret US documents showed how multiple US administrations tried to conceal information on the territory to avoid a controversy that would prompt a Congressional ban on weapons sales to Indonesia.

The then national security adviser Henry Kissinger told his "I'm assuming you're really going to keep your mouth shut on the subject," in response to reports that had begun its attack on East Timor....