OMEN
04-25-2006, 09:36 PM
Kiwi troops could return to East Timor to help quell threats of rioting by former soldiers, stretching New Zealand's already limited air support capabilities.
Defence chief Bruce Ferguson said yesterday that there was growing concern about East Timor after 600 of its armed forces personnel were dismissed and started protesting.
If necessary, a company of New Zealand troops would be sent there urgently thoughbut the air force was already stretched, with most of its transport aircraft heavily committed, Air Marshal Ferguson said.
New Zealand troops were heavily involved in East Timor to help subdue trouble as the new state established its independence from Indonesia four years ago.
Air Marshal Ferguson, who retires on Friday, said one of the air force's Boeing 757 transport aircraft left for Afghanistan on Friday, carrying 120 troops.
It would be some days before it returned with the last provincial reconstruction team stationed in Bamiyan province. An air force Hercules is also flying in Afghanistan with that mission.
One Hercules aircraft was being rebuilt in the United States, a second was out of action for servicing and the remaining two were busy serving the Solomon Islands deployment.
Air Marshal Ferguson said a Singaporean Air Force Hercules, in New Zealand for an exercise, had been made available to the air force for some internal flights.
News agencies report that protests in East Timor's capital, Dili, turned violent on Monday.
The former soldiers, wearing full army uniforms, were joined by hundreds of unemployed youths in their protest. The march, involving about 3000 people, began peacefully but turned into a violent ethnic clash.
Nearly 600 soldiers from western districts were dismissed last month after they went absent without leave, complaining that their commanders were favouring soldiers from the eastern region.
The soldiers have reportedly threatened to wage a guerrilla war if their government fails to resolve their dispute.
The blow-up in East Timor comes just days after more than 100 New Zealand soldiers were sent to the Solomon Islands to quell trouble there.
At present, New Zealand has four military personnel in East Timor, three helping in small-arms training and a fourth working as a military liaison officer.
When New Zealand troops were withdrawn in November 2002, most of New Zealand's 4300 regular army personnel had served at least one rotation there.
The initial deployment, based on the cost of sending a force of more than 800 soldiers, was estimated at $75 million.
http://stuff.co.nz/inl/images/masthead/dominionpost.gif
Defence chief Bruce Ferguson said yesterday that there was growing concern about East Timor after 600 of its armed forces personnel were dismissed and started protesting.
If necessary, a company of New Zealand troops would be sent there urgently thoughbut the air force was already stretched, with most of its transport aircraft heavily committed, Air Marshal Ferguson said.
New Zealand troops were heavily involved in East Timor to help subdue trouble as the new state established its independence from Indonesia four years ago.
Air Marshal Ferguson, who retires on Friday, said one of the air force's Boeing 757 transport aircraft left for Afghanistan on Friday, carrying 120 troops.
It would be some days before it returned with the last provincial reconstruction team stationed in Bamiyan province. An air force Hercules is also flying in Afghanistan with that mission.
One Hercules aircraft was being rebuilt in the United States, a second was out of action for servicing and the remaining two were busy serving the Solomon Islands deployment.
Air Marshal Ferguson said a Singaporean Air Force Hercules, in New Zealand for an exercise, had been made available to the air force for some internal flights.
News agencies report that protests in East Timor's capital, Dili, turned violent on Monday.
The former soldiers, wearing full army uniforms, were joined by hundreds of unemployed youths in their protest. The march, involving about 3000 people, began peacefully but turned into a violent ethnic clash.
Nearly 600 soldiers from western districts were dismissed last month after they went absent without leave, complaining that their commanders were favouring soldiers from the eastern region.
The soldiers have reportedly threatened to wage a guerrilla war if their government fails to resolve their dispute.
The blow-up in East Timor comes just days after more than 100 New Zealand soldiers were sent to the Solomon Islands to quell trouble there.
At present, New Zealand has four military personnel in East Timor, three helping in small-arms training and a fourth working as a military liaison officer.
When New Zealand troops were withdrawn in November 2002, most of New Zealand's 4300 regular army personnel had served at least one rotation there.
The initial deployment, based on the cost of sending a force of more than 800 soldiers, was estimated at $75 million.
http://stuff.co.nz/inl/images/masthead/dominionpost.gif