Operation: WHENUA was, ostensibly, a "humanitarian" mission, with the Interstellar Commonwealth deploying UNSC peacekeeping forces to Bahalo to prevent attacks on civilian population centres, ensure that medical and infrastructure aid was received and not squandered, and to protect local human-built infrastructure and resources. In theory, it was a peaceful mission to help their Unggoy neighbours. In practice, however, the UNSC had humanity's own interests at heart - Unggoy mining operations provided much of the raw materials pouring back to the colonies as humanity rebuilt and reoccupied their former homes, and the security of these resources was deemed a top priority by Secretary General Jerome Smithson, forming the basis of his campaign and his subsequent adminstration's focus on coloni