Gusmao Takes Sole Responsibility: Timor Leste

Long time coming some factions would say, but, East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao announced yesterday that he was taking over “sole responsibility” for the country’s national security in a bid to end more than a week of swirling unrest.

Academics I have spoken to have voiced their varying opinions on whether or not Australia should have drawn out their troops after independence was declared. I spoke to one colleague who remarked that Australia is only in there for one thing and that is to protect their stake in the Timor Gap.

Personally, as a fledgling nation I thought Australia would have remained until 2004 to ensure the complete functioning of the new nation. There are far too many want-to-be-presidents in the country. Xanana Gusmao is rightly the only person to lead the country, at least into the next decade. He fought the Indonesian Government forces during the occupation and was jailed for his fight for freedom.