Australian troops to round-up East Timor rebels By staff writers and wires February 12, 2008 06:20am - Extra Aussie troops to hunt down rebels
- Shot president Jose Ramos-Horta 'out of danger'
- Analysis - Australia's security nightmare
- Multimedia: East Timor in crisis
EXTRA Australian troops will fly into the anarchy sweeping East Timor today on a mission to round-up rebels after President Jose Ramos-Horta was gunned down.
The fresh blitz comes after Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao declared a state of emergency in the immediate wake of yesterday's attempts on his and Dr Ramos Horta's lives.
Dr Ramos-Horta, who was shot by rebels at his home, was this morning said to be out of danger after being airlifted to Darwin for treatment.
Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado died in that attack, while a separate ambush on Mr Gusmao failed.
Troop deployment Today, an additional 120 Australian troops and 70 federal police are due to arrive in Dili, supported by the HMAS Perth and Royal Australian Air Force C-17 and C-130 aircraft.
They will add to around 780 Australian troops already in East Timor as part of a United Nation's International Stabilisation Force.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the Australians might be involved in rounding up a core group of rebels - thought to number about 25 - still on the run.
"One of the reasons we have committed the additional complement of troops and police is that it may well be necessary for that additional complement to be used to effectively round up Reinado's supporters," he said on ABC TV.
"We would hope that, given that the rogue ringleader is now dead, there may be some peaceful and amicable way of his supporters returning to the fold or at least handing in their arms."
PM to visit Mr Smith will travel to Darwin to meet his East Timorese counterpart Zacharias da Costa, who accompanied Dr Ramos-Horta during his medical evacuation to Australia.
Mr Smith said he wanted to reinforce Australia's commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with East Timor in its time of crisis.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to fly to East Timor later this week.
Out of danger Overnight, the speaker of the East Timor's parliament said Dr Ramos-Horta was "out of danger" and "recovering" following his treatment at Royal Darwin Hospital.
"According to the information we have, the president has been operated on and the bullet that was in his lung has been removed," Fernando de Araujo said from Lisbon.
"He is in the process of recovery and is out of danger." With AAP and AFP - Background MP accuses diggers over Reinado fracas February 10, 2008 - 6:14PM
An East Timor MP has accused Australian troops of acting in a threatening manner when they stumbled upon fugitive rebel Alfredo Reinado and a gang of his men. Adriano Nascimento and two fellow MPs were meeting with Reinado in Ermera district on Wednesday when International Stabilisation Force (ISF) troops came across the group during a routine patrol. Reinado's group fired up to eight warning shots, but no casualties were reported. In a statement issued shortly after the incident, ISF spokesman Brigadier General James Baker said the soldiers did not return fire but withdrew from the area near the village of Lauala. But Mr Nascimento said the troops had acted threateningly towards him and the other MPs even though the men had clearly identified themselves. "We greatly lament the conduct of the Australian forces. We came out raising our arms telling them we were MPs, showing them our identification cards, raised our hands twice more telling them we were civilians, but they continued with their weapons pointed at us," Mr Nascimento told local reporters. Mr Nascimento said the incident happened as he and fellow MPs Francisco Araujo and Fernando Dias Gusmao were involved in a peaceful meeting with Reinado, who is wanted on eight counts of murder. He said the meeting had been underway for about 30 minutes when one of the group's members yelled out that the ISF patrol was approaching too closely. Warning shots were fired and the ISF and Reinado group pointed weapons at each other, he said. Mr Nascimento and his colleagues claimed the ISF had breached an agreement with Reinado that troops would not approach, or come too close to, the fugitive and his followers. Brigadier General Baker said no such agreement exists. "Should Alfredo Reinado have concerns about the ISF presence, which is clearly not targeting him, he should refrain from approaching the ISF patrols as he deliberately has done on a number of previous occasions." Reinado, who escaped from prison last year, was a key figure in the 2006 violence that plunged the country into violence and is wanted on eight counts of murder. http://news.theage.com.au/mp-accuses-diggers-over-reinado-fracas/20080210-1rcs.html
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