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CANBERRA - Australia will reduce its large military force in East Timor despite continued warnings of a "fragile" security situation and the danger of civil unrest.
The decision to pull out 100 of the troops working with New Zealand soldiers in the troubled country was announced yesterday by Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who said the force would be reduced from next year.
The deployment, Australia's third-largest foreign commitment after Afghanistan and Iraq, will still maintain a substantial battle group of 650 infantry and support units, including Black Hawk helicopters.
With a company of about 170 New Zealand troops, the Australians maintain the international stabilisation force on Timor, and have been involved in training the country's new defence force.
Police from more than 20 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, are also stationed in East Timor.
Anzac troops were rapidly increased in February after rebel soldiers shot President Jose Ramos-Horta and attacked a convoy in which Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao was travelling.
Explosives were also detonated in Dili, including the stabilisation force base at camp Phoenix, and outside the defence co-operation headquarters next to the Australian Embassy.
But Canberra, which faces serious strains on its military because of major foreign deployments, believes security is improving, helped by the increasing competence of Timorese forces.
"The reduction in the total number of [Australia's] deployed personnel is appropriate given improvements in the security situation in East Timor," Fitzgibbon said. "The East Timorese authorities have shown through their professional handling of the security situation that the time is now right for some drawdown of the Australian presence."
He said Australian and New Zealand troops would continue to play a key role and that the international stabilisation force - which could be rapidly reinforced at short notice - would continue to provide security support to the East Timorese Government and the United Nations mission there.
But the country remains on a tightrope. The Foreign Affairs Department warns Australians in its travel advice to reconsider their need to visit the country because of the fragile security situation.
"The situation could deteriorate without warning," the advice says.
It warns travellers to exercise extreme caution because of the possibility of violence at any time, anywhere in East Timor, possibly triggered by food and fuel shortages.
The advice also warns of gang-related violence, armed robbery, arson and assault in Dili, and of armed "irregular" groups such as martial arts groups. It says cars have been attacked with "potentially lethal" stones and darts fired from slingshots, especially during the early evening and at night.
