TNI pulls troops from East Timor

TNI pulls troops from East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) began withdrawing
some of its soldiers from East Timor ahead of the arrival of a
multinational peacekeeping force next week, a military source
said on Thursday.

"Some of the troops are starting to leave for Atambua. We
expect all soldiers to be out when the peacekeeping troops
arrive," the source, who requested anonymity, said.

Atambua is a border town on the western half of Timor island.

The source said the military leadership issued an order on
Friday to withdraw all its troops from East Timor, except for a
small unit of Army engineers.

He said there were still one Marine and 12 Army battalions in
East Timor, as well as 8,000 police and 5,000 members of the
local military command as of Thursday.

He said when the multinational force arrives, TNI soldiers
would assume the role of consultant and liaison officers.

The Australian-led International Force in East Timor
(Interfet) is expected to arrive on Sunday or Monday. An advance
team will be in Dili this weekend.

The United Nations Security Council voted on Wednesday to
establish the multinational peacekeeping force to restore peace
in East Timor. The Council invoked Chapter VII of the UN Charter,
which authorizes the force to use full military power.

Prior to the Security Council resolution, TNI was to remain in
charge of the territory's security until November when Indonesia
was expected to formally hand over authority of East Timor to the
United Nations.

East Timorese voted overwhelmingly against wide-ranging
autonomy within Indonesia on Aug. 30, but any separation with
Indonesia must first be approved by the People's Consultative
Assembly, which is not scheduled to meet until November.

TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto said earlier on Thursday that the
withdrawal of Indonesian soldiers would be coordinated with the
arrival of the peacekeeping forces.

"This is not a retreat. TNI will adjust the size of its
presence in accordance with whatever role it is given by the
United Nations in the multinational force," he said.

In Canberra, Australian defense minister John Moore said the
first Interfet forces would land in East Timor on Sunday or
Monday, Reuters reported.

Australia is planning to send 4,500 troops to East Timor as
part of an 8,000-strong multinational peace force. The first
deployment is expected to total about 2,000 troops, including
British Gurkhas and Australian soldiers.

Thailand has pledged 1,000 soldiers, making it the largest
Asian contingent.

In Darwin, Australia's Defense Force chief warned that Intefet
would not hesitate to get tough if it met resistance from
Indonesian forces or the pro-Jakarta militias.

Admiral Chris Barrie said the peace enforcement mission could
be short and successful if the Indonesian Army cooperated.

"The success of this mission will rely very much on the
cooperation of all of the members of the multinational force,"
Barrie said.

"We also expect a great deal of help from Indonesia."

"If we don't get the cooperation we need, we will end up
having to make this a tough military operation and that will be a
tough challenge but... we are ready to take this challenge," he
said.

Barrie said he was concerned about the possibility of
clandestine operations by Indonesian Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) or irregulars.

Australian defense analysts have said noncommissioned officers
from Kopassus were used in East Timor to direct the militias
blamed for thousands of deaths after the self-determination vote
on August 30.

"You read about the special forces doing things in a
clandestine and covert way, they are the sorts of concerns we
will have," he told reporters at the Darwin air force base, which
is the launching pad for the force.

Commander of the UN force, Australian Maj. Gen. Peter
Cosgrove, said securing Dili and the city's abandoned UN
headquarters would be a priority, adding it would take several
months to restore law and order to the troubled territory.

"My first step will be to seek out the local TNI senior
officer and to ensure that he understands the nature of the build
up of forces," Cosgrove said. "I'm led to believe that he's
eagerly awaiting such a meeting."

Cosgrove said he believed militia leaders' threats to target
Australian soldiers were mere rhetoric. "The best thing for the
militia would be to surrender their weapons and to become
peaceful, law-abiding East Timorese," Cosgrove said.

"The issue is giving them every encouragement to become law-
abiding or to leave East Timor and let the East Timorese have the
peace that the U.N. desires for them."

But Cosgrove warned: "We will not allow people to interfere
with our task of protecting East Timorese". (lem)