Holbrooke reserves judgment on RI's E. Timor agreement<\/p>\n
AILEU, East Timor (Reuters): Washington's ambassador to the
\nUnited Nations said on Tuesday the United States would be
\nwatching closely to see if Indonesia honored an agreement over
\njoint patrols near the border between East and West Timor.<\/p>\n
Richard Holbrooke was speaking at the end of a brief visit to
\nTimor island, on a day when he met independence leader Xanana
\nGusmao and was saluted by his Falintil guerrilla fighters.<\/p>\n
"We'll see if the Indonesian military honors and implements
\nthe border commission agreement yesterday and if the attitude
\ntowards the activities of the militia moves in the direction we
\nwant it to move," Holbrooke said.<\/p>\n
Anti-independence militia backed by the Indonesian military
\ncarried out a wave of terror in East Timor in September after
\nvoters rejected Indonesian rule in a referendum. On Monday, the
\nmilitary undertook to rein in the militia.<\/p>\n
Holbrooke flew into the Falintil cantonment in East Timor to
\ntell the jungle fighters of the refugees' plight in Indonesian
\nWest Timor, where hundreds of thousands from the east of the
\nisland fled or were forced to go in September.<\/p>\n
"We've just come from refugee camps in West Timor where the
\nsituation is not so good. Many of your friends, many of your
\nrelatives are still trapped in these camps," Holbrooke told the
\nfighters.<\/p>\n
"If they could see this scene today they would not be afraid
\nto come home to the peace and freedom that you have achieved."<\/p>\n
But Holbrooke later told reporters in Dili he would reserve
\nhis judgment on the success of his mission, pending the
\nimplementation of the border agreement. But he said Gusmao,
\nwidely expected to be East Timor's first president, was satisfied
\nwith the deal.<\/p>\n
"We discussed at length the crisis among the refugees in West
\nTimor and reported to Mr Gusmao on yesterday's agreement at the
\nborder and he expressed satisfaction with that agreement."<\/p>\n
The sale of military weapons to Indonesia and the resumption
\nof military training would not resume unless there was an end to
\nthe refugee crisis, Holbrooke said.<\/p>\n
"Something like a sixth of all the people of this area, East
\nTimor, are living in camps in West Timor under lousy conditions
\nand they should be allowed to either come home or be integrated
\ninto Indonesian society right away."<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Tuesday that his
\ncountry will create two new infantry battalions for a period of
\ntwo years to boost the country's defenses during the East Timor
\npeacekeeping operation.<\/p>\n
The move will increase the number of active infantry
\nbattalions from four to six and bring the overall size of the
\narmy to 26,000 soldiers from 23,000. Air force numbers will
\nincrease by 500 to 13,500.<\/p>\n
"This increase is required to sustain Australia's involvement
\nin the peacekeeping operation and to maintain acceptable levels
\nof overall defense readiness," Howard told parliament.<\/p>\n
Australia currently has 4,400 troops in East Timor, out of a
\ntotal 9,900 assigned to the multinational force sent there in
\nSeptember to restore order in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Australia estimates the extra defense costs from the
\ndeployment of forces to East Timor will be some A$3 billion (US$2
\nbillion) over three years.<\/p>",
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