Gumleaf
February 11th, 2008, 02:01 AM
Monday Feb 11 16:35 AEDT
Australia will send more troops and police to East Timor following the attempted assassination of East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta, says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr Rudd said he was deeply shocked by today's wounding of Dr Ramos-Horta and the failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
Mr Rudd said Dr Ramos-Horta's condition was "very serious but stable" after the East Timorese leader was shot and wounded by rebels at his home in Dili.
"I'm deeply shocked by developments this morning in East Timor," Mr Rudd told reporters.
"What we had, apparently, are coordinated attacks aimed at assassinating the democratically elected leadership of East Timor, a close friend and partner of Australia."
Mr Rudd said Dr Ramos-Horta had received treatment at an Australian military hospital in Dili, and Australia stood ready to offer further assistance including evacuation to Darwin.
"That offer has been extended and, I'm advised, in the last quarter of an hour or so has been activated," he said.
Mr Rudd said Australia would boost its Australian Defence Force deployment to East Timor, where about 800 Australian troops are already on peacekeeping duties.
Mr Rudd said following a request from the East Timor government the National Security Committee of the cabinet met today and authorised a "substantial and immediate" reinforcement of Australian defence force personnel as well as an additional contingent of Australian Federal Police personnel.
He said the Australian-led international security stabilisation force in east Timor had already secured key buildings and deployed more broadly throughout Dili and increased their presence in East Timor's districts.
Mr Rudd said he would travel to East Timor later in the week, following a request from the prime minister.
"Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has also asked if I could visit East Timor later in the week and I intend to take up his invitation to do so," he said.
"My reason for doing that is to reinforce in person Australia's resolve, Australia's determination to stand with East Timor at this time of deep challenge to its democratic processes."
Mr Rudd said he had spoken to Mr Gusmao, whose car was also shot at today. He was unhurt.
Gusmao's family, including his Australian-born wife Kirsty Sword Gusmao, have been moved to a safe location.
"I have spoken to Xanana Gusmao twice this morning and spoken to his wife Kirsty on two separate occasions as well," Mr Rudd said.
Both were safe and Mr Gusmao had indicated he would make efforts to ensure that stability in East Timor is secured.
"Australia will stand resolutely behind East Timor at this time of crisis in their democracy.
"Australia is a long-standing partner and friend in past and will remain that way in the future including at this time of national need," he said.
Mr Rudd said the extra military and police commitment would bring Australia's deployment in East Timor to about 1,000 personnel.
"We'll be flying these forces in with Hercs (Hercules) very soon," he said.
"That will bring our total troop deployment in East Timor to about 1,000."
He stressed the deployment was in response to an East Timorese request.
"On the question of the ADF deployment, the request from East Timor is for a substantial and significant enhancement. We will look to do that at company strength," Mr Rudd said.
"On the question of police personnel, we will be looking to deploy an additional 50 to 70 police personnel."
Mr Rudd said the increased Australian involvement was necessary in light of the severity of the situation.
"When you've got something as fundamentally destabilising as the attempted assassination of the entire senior democratically-elected leadership of one of our neighbours, it's obviously a destabilising time with rogue elements at play," he said.
Mr Rudd said there was no evidence to conclude external influences were involved in the attacks, saying it seemed "rogue elements" were responsible.
Mr Rudd said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had been in touch with Indonesian and United Nations authorities regarding the attack.
Mr Rudd said he did not know how many rebels had been involved in the attacks, nor how many had been killed or captured.
Asked if he was surprised how much the situation in East Timor had deteriorated, Mr Rudd said: "I think everyone in the government is deeply disturbed by what's happened this morning.
"Of course a number of these problems have been brewing for some time, going back to the events of a year or so ago.
"But precisely what has caused this event, let's wait for all facts to unfold."
"Therefore, an appropriate show of force is necessary."
Mr Rudd said the situation in East Timor reinforced Labor's long-held view that Australia had policy challenges in its own region and needed "adequate deployable assets to respond to contingencies in the neighbourhood".
"Of course, you are aware of the government's position in relation to the future of our combat force in Iraq. And one of the reasons we've advanced for its return is that we need those assets to be deployable elsewhere," Mr Rudd said.
"Therefore, looking ahead, we will be vigilant about future security policy needs in the neighbourhood. But we need to make sure that we have sufficient assets at home against a range of contingencies in the neighbourhood, not just this one."
Mr Rudd said the advice he had from officials was that there was no problem with him visiting East Timor.
"Frankly the key challenge is to respond positively, definitively and publicly to an invitation from my East Timorese counterpart," Mr Rudd said.
"If the prime minister of East Timor says what I need is some defence assets, some police assets and it would be great of the prime minister of this country could come, my response to that is yes, yes and yes.
"When you look at what has happened in East Timor, this is a very significant regional security policy development where you have an attack against the political leadership of a neighbouring state, particularly one for whom we have such unique responsibilities as East Timor."
Chief of the defence force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said none of the current Australian personnel in East Timor were involved in this morning's incident.
Of the planned reinforcement, he said: "It will be a substantial force that would put us at just under 1,000 and will have the capacity to respond in any way that the government needs us to respond."
"We will have a good manoeuvre capability and will be focused on dealing with anybody that is up to mischief against the East Timorese government."
©AAP 2008
Australia will send more troops and police to East Timor following the attempted assassination of East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta, says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr Rudd said he was deeply shocked by today's wounding of Dr Ramos-Horta and the failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
Mr Rudd said Dr Ramos-Horta's condition was "very serious but stable" after the East Timorese leader was shot and wounded by rebels at his home in Dili.
"I'm deeply shocked by developments this morning in East Timor," Mr Rudd told reporters.
"What we had, apparently, are coordinated attacks aimed at assassinating the democratically elected leadership of East Timor, a close friend and partner of Australia."
Mr Rudd said Dr Ramos-Horta had received treatment at an Australian military hospital in Dili, and Australia stood ready to offer further assistance including evacuation to Darwin.
"That offer has been extended and, I'm advised, in the last quarter of an hour or so has been activated," he said.
Mr Rudd said Australia would boost its Australian Defence Force deployment to East Timor, where about 800 Australian troops are already on peacekeeping duties.
Mr Rudd said following a request from the East Timor government the National Security Committee of the cabinet met today and authorised a "substantial and immediate" reinforcement of Australian defence force personnel as well as an additional contingent of Australian Federal Police personnel.
He said the Australian-led international security stabilisation force in east Timor had already secured key buildings and deployed more broadly throughout Dili and increased their presence in East Timor's districts.
Mr Rudd said he would travel to East Timor later in the week, following a request from the prime minister.
"Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has also asked if I could visit East Timor later in the week and I intend to take up his invitation to do so," he said.
"My reason for doing that is to reinforce in person Australia's resolve, Australia's determination to stand with East Timor at this time of deep challenge to its democratic processes."
Mr Rudd said he had spoken to Mr Gusmao, whose car was also shot at today. He was unhurt.
Gusmao's family, including his Australian-born wife Kirsty Sword Gusmao, have been moved to a safe location.
"I have spoken to Xanana Gusmao twice this morning and spoken to his wife Kirsty on two separate occasions as well," Mr Rudd said.
Both were safe and Mr Gusmao had indicated he would make efforts to ensure that stability in East Timor is secured.
"Australia will stand resolutely behind East Timor at this time of crisis in their democracy.
"Australia is a long-standing partner and friend in past and will remain that way in the future including at this time of national need," he said.
Mr Rudd said the extra military and police commitment would bring Australia's deployment in East Timor to about 1,000 personnel.
"We'll be flying these forces in with Hercs (Hercules) very soon," he said.
"That will bring our total troop deployment in East Timor to about 1,000."
He stressed the deployment was in response to an East Timorese request.
"On the question of the ADF deployment, the request from East Timor is for a substantial and significant enhancement. We will look to do that at company strength," Mr Rudd said.
"On the question of police personnel, we will be looking to deploy an additional 50 to 70 police personnel."
Mr Rudd said the increased Australian involvement was necessary in light of the severity of the situation.
"When you've got something as fundamentally destabilising as the attempted assassination of the entire senior democratically-elected leadership of one of our neighbours, it's obviously a destabilising time with rogue elements at play," he said.
Mr Rudd said there was no evidence to conclude external influences were involved in the attacks, saying it seemed "rogue elements" were responsible.
Mr Rudd said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had been in touch with Indonesian and United Nations authorities regarding the attack.
Mr Rudd said he did not know how many rebels had been involved in the attacks, nor how many had been killed or captured.
Asked if he was surprised how much the situation in East Timor had deteriorated, Mr Rudd said: "I think everyone in the government is deeply disturbed by what's happened this morning.
"Of course a number of these problems have been brewing for some time, going back to the events of a year or so ago.
"But precisely what has caused this event, let's wait for all facts to unfold."
"Therefore, an appropriate show of force is necessary."
Mr Rudd said the situation in East Timor reinforced Labor's long-held view that Australia had policy challenges in its own region and needed "adequate deployable assets to respond to contingencies in the neighbourhood".
"Of course, you are aware of the government's position in relation to the future of our combat force in Iraq. And one of the reasons we've advanced for its return is that we need those assets to be deployable elsewhere," Mr Rudd said.
"Therefore, looking ahead, we will be vigilant about future security policy needs in the neighbourhood. But we need to make sure that we have sufficient assets at home against a range of contingencies in the neighbourhood, not just this one."
Mr Rudd said the advice he had from officials was that there was no problem with him visiting East Timor.
"Frankly the key challenge is to respond positively, definitively and publicly to an invitation from my East Timorese counterpart," Mr Rudd said.
"If the prime minister of East Timor says what I need is some defence assets, some police assets and it would be great of the prime minister of this country could come, my response to that is yes, yes and yes.
"When you look at what has happened in East Timor, this is a very significant regional security policy development where you have an attack against the political leadership of a neighbouring state, particularly one for whom we have such unique responsibilities as East Timor."
Chief of the defence force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said none of the current Australian personnel in East Timor were involved in this morning's incident.
Of the planned reinforcement, he said: "It will be a substantial force that would put us at just under 1,000 and will have the capacity to respond in any way that the government needs us to respond."
"We will have a good manoeuvre capability and will be focused on dealing with anybody that is up to mischief against the East Timorese government."
©AAP 2008