US embassy cable - 05CANBERRA272

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO, PREL, TL, AS, UNSC 
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TIMOR 
POST-UNMISET 
 
REF: STATE 24208 
 
1.  (U) We delivered reftel demarche on February 11 to 
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) 
Assistant Secretary for Maritime South-East Asia Penny Burtt. 
 Burtt said that the GOA was in "heated agreement" with the 
U.S. that UNMISET should conclude in May and that the 
Government of East Timor (GOET) needed to assume more 
responsibility to fill in the gaps after UNMISET departs. 
She stressed that Australia remained committed to providing 
police advisors, civilian advisors, and military liaison 
officers to a post-UNMISET program.  Foreign Minister Downer 
would review proposals next week, Burtt said, but the GOA was 
not yet in a position to give details on the numbers and 
types of advisors it would provide.  The GOA wanted to see 
what proposals the UNSC would put forward at the February 26 
meeting.  Australia would also be sending a senior 
representative from the Australian Embassy in Washington to 
the February 16 core group meeting on East Timor.  According 
to Burtt, the GOA was eager to provide assistance to East 
Timor but wanted to ensure that as many countries as possible 
remained involved post-UNMISET, as the GOA "does not want to 
be left holding the baby alone."  She told us that the GOA 
would not have firm figures on support personnel until late 
March or early April. 
 
SCHIEFFER