Honiara, Solomon Islands — The biggest military operation in the South Pacific since the Second World War got under way Thursday when an Australian-led peacekeeping force poured into the Solomon Islands to keep the island chain from slipping deeper into anarchy.
The Solomon Islands government is nearly broke and issued an appeal to its neighbors this month to help rein in armed militants and criminals who are killing at will, taking hostages and extorting money.
The contingent of 2,000 troops and 300 police from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga has a mandate to use lethal force if necessary to restore order.
A handful of local police and embassy officials greeted the first of 13 Australian C-130 transport planes at Henderson Airport outside the capital, Honiara, just after dawn at the start of Operation Helpem Fren' - pidgin English for Help A Friend.
The Australian navy ship HMAS Manoora docked off the coast and barges shuttled equipment and troops ashore. As more troops arrived, hundreds of curious locals turned out to watch.
"We are very happy, this is good, this is marvelous for my country," said Misheko Maetano as he watched troops arrive at the airport.
The parliament of the Solomon Islands unanimously supported the deployment to fight militant gangs and quell a drawn-out conflict among rival islanders that has killed hundreds.
The Solomon Islands, northeast of Sydney, Australia, saw some of the fiercest fighting between American and Japanese forces in World War II. The main island of Guadalcanal was the site of six-month battle in which thousands of soldiers died.
Prime Minister Alan Kemakeza was whisked away from Honiara Tuesday - reportedly to the HMAS Manoora - amid reports of a possible kidnap attempt. His office issued a statement the next day confirming his departure, but denying he fled to avoid being abducted.
Some rebels have been armed with high-powered rifles stolen from police armories. Others have fought in loin cloths using homemade guns or weapons dug up from World War II weapons dumps.
A peace deal signed in late 2000 failed to stop the violence. Renegade warlords and militants now control much of Guadalcanal.
One of the most notorious, Harold Keke, said in an interview aired Wednesday on Australian television that he was fighting for independence for Guadalcanal.
He said he and took up arms because the government refused to listen to his demands. Mr. Keke is holding six hostages after releasing three Wednesday in an apparent good will gesture.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said the troops could be on the island for weeks or months, while police will likely stay for years.
The military force will be the first foreign troops in the Solomon Islands since the United States and Japan fought over it in World War II.
"It was obvious that neither the Parliament nor the executive government was in control of things in this country. We knew we were just going into anarchy," said Joses Tuhanuku, a Solomon Islands lawmaker.
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