E Timor called off hunt for Reinado: Smith

ABC News – Tue, 12 Feb 2008

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says the East Timorese leadership asked Australian forces to stop looking for rebel leader Alfredo Reinado about nine months ago, because they wanted negotiations to take place.

East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta was shot yesterday morning in an attack at his home in the capital Dili. He remains in a very serious but stable condition.

There was also an attempted attack on Prime Minister Xanama Gusamo, but he managed to escape unharmed.
Fugitive rebel leader and former army major Alfredo Reinado - who was widely seen as a major destabilising force in East Timor for the past 18 months - was killed in the gun battle outside the presidential home.

Mr Smith says he is not prepared to comment on whether calling off the search was a mistake, because it was a decision for East Timor, not the stabilisation forces.
"As I've said earlier, I'm not proposing to reflect on that decision, but it's something that over time the East Timorese Government, the Australian Government, the international stablisations forces and the United Nations will no doubt reflect on," he said.

Mr Smith had a private meeting with his East Timorese counterpart Zacarias Da Costa at Darwin Royal Hospital this afternoon, where Mr Ramos-Horta is in a serious, but stable condition.

Mr da Costa says he does not think it was a mistake to stop searching for Reinado and he does not regret allowing the rebel leader to remain free, because it was hoped a political solution could be negotiated.
"President Horta together with Prime Minister Xanana have decided that the best way is to engage in dialogue," he said.

"I don't think it was a wrong decision, unfortunately the outcome was different to what we imagined, but I think it was a good decision."

Mr da Costa says the men responsible for the attack are being pursued by police and will be prosecuted.

"We know where they are and I'm sure sooner or later we'll get close to them," he said.
Mr Smith says it is up to East Timor to decide how to deal with the rebels.
"The sensible thing is to hand over their arms and give themselves in," he said.

InquiryMeanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres has demanded a full inquiry into yesterday's attacks.

Police investigations have already begun into who orchestrated the separate attacks on Mr Ramos-Horta and Mr Gusamo and there are also allegations that UN police left Mr Ramos-Horta bleeding on the road for half-an-hour, before going to his aid.

Mr Guterres says there is no clear motive as to why rebel forces might shoot the President, but he has speculated they may have wanted to bring down the Government to force an early election.

He is demanding an independent commission of inquiry to establish the truth.
Mr Gutteres says he does not believe the attempted assassination will lead to widespread violence.

"The situation in Dili remains calm, as well as in other parts of East Timor," he said.

"The Government institutions related to defence and security are working very closely with the ISF, as well as United Nations police in order to stabilise the country."

Earlier, Mr Smith told a press conference at the hospital that the HMAS Perth is now anchored off Dili and more Australian troops will be in East Timor within 24 hours.

He said Australia was standing by East Timor and more Australian troops and federal police would be on the ground in East Timor by tomorrow.

Mr da Costa thanked the Australian Government and staff at Royal Darwin Hospital for their support and for their speedy response to East Timor's crisis.

Mr Smith would not be drawn on the rules governing the latest troop deployment, but is urging the rebels responsible for yesterday's attack on President Jose Ramos-Horta to give themselves up.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned that Australia's commitment in East Timor may need to be further adjusted as developments unfold.

Mr Rudd told Parliament the situation in East Timor is currently calm but things could change quickly.

"This however is a very fluid environment and all of us in this Parliament, who've observed the throws of the emergence of this new democracy since the independence ballot some years ago, know how volatile things can become," he said.
"It will therefore require our continued efforts and attention to respond to security developments as they unfold."

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ABC/AFP - Tue, 12 Feb 2008

UN defends Ramos-Horta response time

As the first additional Australian troops arrive in the capital Dili, the United Nations in East Timor has presented evidence to reject claims its officers left President Jose Ramos-Horta bleeding on the road after he was shot in an attempted assassination yesterday morning.
Planes carrying up to 200 troops and 70 police to help bolster security on the ground started arriving during the evening (Australian time).

The navy ship HMAS Perth had already docked in Dili Harbour.

The UN has come under attack for allegedly leaving Mr Ramos-Horta lying in agony for more than 30 minutes after being shot two or three times in the upper body.

Mr Ramos-Horta lost at least eight litres of blood before being evacuated to Royal Darwin hospital where he was in a serious but stable condition on Tuesday.

But a senior UN official says police records show UN officers received the first call of the shooting at 6:59am (local time).

He says police arrived at 7:15am, the President was found near a fence at 7:23am and was in an ambulance two minutes later.

Investigations have established there were 10 assailants involved in the attack, including rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was shot dead.

Hard questionsMeanwhile East Timor's military chief has demanded an explanation as to how renegade soldiers were able to reach the homes of the nation's two top leaders to launch the assassination attempts.

Brigadier General Taur Matan Ruak said that the military was only responsible for security within the perimeters of President Jose Ramos-Horta's residence, while national police and UN police had jurisdiction for his personal security.

"Given the big number of international forces present in Timor-Leste, in particular in Dili, how is it possible that vehicles transporting armed people have entered the city and executed an approach to the residences of the President and Prime Minister without having been detected?" Brig-Gen Ruak said in a statement he read out at the military headquarters.

"There has been a lack of capacity shown by the international forces who have the primary responsibility for security within Timor-Leste, to foresee, react and prevent these events," he said.

Meanwhile the wife of East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao says armed men surrounded her family's home during yesterday's assasination attempt on her husband.
Prime Minister Gusmao was unhurt when his car was fired upon in a separate attack to the one that seriously wounded President Ramos-Horta.

Mr Gusmao's Australian-born wife Kirsty Sword Gusmao was at home with her children yesterday morning when the attacks occured.

"It was a great sort of panic and confusion and I got the children dressed as quickly as I could and had them lie under the bed, all the while, unsure of exactly how many men we were talking about," she said.

"We only had a very small security contingent."###