Top post for our man in Timor

One of our top soldiers has been made a brigadier in East Timor and given the command of Dili.

Brigadier Martyn Dunne, commander of New Zealand's forces in the province, will be responsible for the security of Dili, including facilities such as the airfield and port, and for forces assigned to him.

He will also formally accept into Dili the international forces entering East Timor.

His promotion was requested by the commander of the International Force for East Timor (Interfet), Major-General Peter Cosgrove, and approved by the Defence Force yesterday.

Brigadier Dunne has spent 22 years in the New Zealand Army after transferring from the Territorial Force.

A former Army brigadier and commander of New Zealand's land forces, Bret Bestic, said Brigadier Dunne was highly respected and a true professional.

"It would seem that Cosgrove has looked around and as his forces expand he now wants to be able to rid himself of the detail of certain areas so he can concentrate on the big picture.

"He wants to look after different things and has said, 'I want a good, capable guy who knows the environment around here to look after the environment in Dili'."

Mr Bestic said there were normally only three brigadiers in New Zealand.

Brigadier Dunne had been given a local rank, which applied in the East Timor theatre. He would revert to his normal rank of colonel once he came home.