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THIS week Australia assumed responsibility for a new state: the poor, unstable and violent nation of East Timor. Our 1300-strong troop intervention has been triggered by the failure of East Timor's political system, a crisis within its armed forces, an internal ethnic rift between east and west regions and the combination of an inept Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, and an immobilised President, Xanana Gusmao, who cannot work together but who have made a joint appeal for Australian help. This is Australia's largest ground force intervention since the 1999 Interfet operation, the international force authorised by the UN Security Council that...

* NEARLY 600 heavily-armed soldiers were sacked from East Timor's army, the F-FDTL, at the beginning of this month after going on strike. They took their weapons and set up camp in the hills. * Most are born in the western areas of Timor. They complain of discrimination at the hands of eastern-born officers. Their probably-justified complaints have largely been ignored by the Timorese Government. * Riots broke out and law and order deteriorated. The 600 soldiers launched sporadic raids on the capital Dili. They are led by Alfredo Alves Reinado, an officer born on the western side of Timor,...

HUNDREDS of terrified East Timorese gathered outside the Australian embassy and other foreign diplomatic missions as gang fights raged in Dili. Outside the high walls of the Australian mission a squad of Australian Federal Police set up roadblocks and tried to keep control of a growing crowd of terrified civilians. A similar scene was unfolding on Dili's waterfront outside the US Embassy and other foreign diplomatic compounds. Several Australian troops were trying to maintain order. Among the crowd near the American compound, one man complained there were not enough Australian troops on the streets. "Where are the Australians?" asked the...

THE federal Opposition "whole heartedly" supported the federal government decision to send troops into East Timor, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today. Australia this morning has 350 troops on the ground in East Timor with the remainder of the promised 1300 troops expected to be in the troubled country by the end of the weekend. Mr Beazley today said despite political differences, the Opposition and the Government were united over Australia's approach to helping East Timor. "We wholeheartedly support the decision by the government to put troops into this very difficult situation," Mr Beazley told Macquarie Radio. "Now we don't...

AUSTRALIA has a vital national interest in the promotion and maintenance of stability in our region. Yesterday the Government received a formal request from the Government of East Timor for military assistance to help that country in the restoration of security, confidence and peace. The Government has agreed in principle to this request, and, subject to the final agreement of East Timor to the conditions of the mission, Australia is preparing to send an Australian Defence Force battalion group of approximately 1300 personnel to help our near neighbour. This action follows a significant deterioration in the security situation in East...

JOHN Howard last night warned there could be Australian casualties in East Timor as the country descended into widespread lawlessness with battles raging across the capital. About 200 special forces troops arrived in Dili yesterday, where they immediately secured the airport ahead of the arrival of the remainder of the 1300-strong Australian taskforce named Operation Astute. The RAAF began evacuating Australians and other foreign nationals as security steadily worsened, although last night Dili was calm after a tumultuous day. "We will go in without any conditionality," the Prime Minister said after an emergency meeting of cabinet's National Security Committee. "We've...

AUSTRALIAN troops were pouring into Dili today after agreement was reached with the East Timor Government on the rules of engagement for the 1300-strong force. The Prime Minister, John Howard has said that there were 350 troops on the ground in East Timor this morning, with the full complement of the force expected by the end of the weekend. Despite the arrival of Australian troops, Timor's police force was said to be in "total disarray" due to growing tensions between the tiny country's east and west with both soldiers and police officers splitting away from the government to join rebel...

AUSTRALIAN soldiers began patrolling the streets of the troubled East Timorese capital Dili this morning as Australia accelerated its deployment of troops to restore order to the troubled nation. Several Hercules C-130 transport aircraft landed at Dili airport early today, spilling soldiers, vehicles and supplies on to the tarmac as part of Australia's Operation Astute. By this morning, 350 Australian troops had taken up positions in Dili and the remainder of the 1300-strong force would be in the country by the end of the weekend, Prime Minister John Howard said. Australian troops unloaded armoured personnel carriers and other military four-wheel...

THE East Timorese government would hand over responsibility for security in the capital, Dili, to Australian troops, Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said today. The decision was agreed by President Xanana Gusmao, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and the head of the national parliament during a meeting late yesterday, Mr Ramos-Horta said. "The president of the republic, the head of the national parliament, and the prime minister have agreed to sign the conditions for the Australian military ... now the Australian troops are the ones holding the reins of security" in the capital, he said.