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Australian
appointed military advisor to UN in Iraq
AUSTRALIAN
Col Neil Thompson is the newly appointed United Nations Military
Adviser to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in
Iraq.
Col Thompson will take over as the senior UN military officer in
Iraq from another Australian, Col Jeff Davie.
Col Thompson will be responsible for liaising with coalition and
Iraqi security forces. His main role will be to provide specialist
military and planning advice for activities that fall within the
responsibility of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.
Col Thompson has served in a number of operational, diplomatic and
senior staff roles.
He most recently served as the Director Joint Plans in ADF HQ.
He was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross for his outstanding
achievement in coordinating the evacuation of injured personnel
from Bali following the bomb blasts in October 2002.
Col Thompson will assume his appointment in late July following
briefings with UN peacekeeping and political affairs staff in New
York and the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq rear headquarters in
Jordan.
Defence Minister Robert Hill said the UN request for Australia to
maintain the role was testament to the great work done by Col Davie.
Col Davie was awarded the Bravery Medal in recognition of his unstinting
efforts to rescue UN staff, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, then
Special Representative of the Secretary-General, following the terrorist
attack on the UN Baghdad headquarters in August 2003.
He also earned high praise from the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General,
who negotiated the establishment of the new Interim Iraqi Government,
and who Col Davie supported in those negotiations.
Lakhdar Brahimi said in a letter to Australia’s Ambassador
to the UN that Col Davie “carried out his work always with
professionalism, competence, discretion and dignity”.
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