current class: uncuassterey UNCLASSIFIED page, 1 EQ. Current Handling: sBU Document Number: 1999CANBERO2533 Channel: n/a Case Number: 200402548 ecen>> pare cammsn 0233 03 oF o2 0207362 RELEASED IN FULL Rorteyte00 INFO LOG-00 ATD-00, ACQ-01 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-01 DORE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00' EAP-01 EUR-01 O%GO-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 H-02 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-01 ADS-00 AC-01 — NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 —_PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 $80-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 1-00 USIE-00 ASDS-01 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NPAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 © /O15W -E7BC8A 020736% /38 © 020734z AUG 99 PM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 10 SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4344 INFO AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY LISBON IMMEDIATE USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA// IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL SYDNEY AMCONSUL MELBOURNE AMCONSUL PERTH UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 002533 SENSITIVE USCINCPAC FOR FPA TWINING SECDEF FOR OSD/TSA/AP SCHER UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 CANBER 02533 01 OF 02 020736% E.0, 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL, KPKO, KCRM, UN, ID, AS, US SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN PRESS TRIES TO MANUFACTURE A U.S:- AUSTRALIAN DISPUTE OVER EAST TIMOR REF: FBIS RESTON DTG 010810Z AUG 99 1. (U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. Current Class: UNCLASSIFIED Pag UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY: DONALD A JOHNSTON DATE/CASE ID: 19 AUG 2004. 200402548 UNCLASSIFIEDcurrent Claes: unciassrereNCLASSIFIED page: 2 Current Handling: sBU Document Number: 1999CANBERO2533 Channel: n/a Case Number: 200402548 2. (U) OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS ARTICLES HAVE APPEARED IN THE MELBOURNE "AGE" AND PERTH'S "WEST AUSTRALIAN” WHICH ALLEGE THAT AUSTRALIA REBUFFED U.S. EFFORTS TO COOPERATE IN PLANNING FOR A PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN EAST TIMOR (TEXTS FAXED TO FAP/ANP ANTWEILER). THE MOST DETAILED OF THESE ARTICLES WHICH APPEARS IN THE AUGUST 1 ISSUE OF THE "AGE" CLAIMS THE GOA ORDERED AUSTRALIAN DEFENSE OFFICIALS TO REJECT AN INVITATION TO DISCUSS STRATEGY AND INTELLIGENCE PLANNING FOR EAST TIMOR AT CINCPAC HEADQUARTERS IN HONOLULU. AUSTRALIA, . THE ARTICLE CONTINUES, TOLD U.S. DEFENSE OFFICIALS THAT ANY DISCUSSION OF PEACEKEEPING INVOLVING THE DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. MARINES WAS "PREMATURE" AND COULD DAMAGE AUSTRALIA'S RELATIONS WITH INDONESIA. THE "AGE" ARTICLE ASSERTS THAT DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE (DFAT) NUMBER TWO ASHTON CALVERT CONVEYED THIS POSITION TO EAP A/S STANLEY ROTH. ROTH, ACCORDING TO THE "AGE" ARGUED WITH CALVERT THAT PEACEKEEPING SHOULD BEGIN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. 3. (SBU) DFAT MARITIME SOUTHEAST ASIA A/S NEILL MULES TOLD POLCOUNS AUGUST 2 THAT THESE STORIES INFURIATED FM DOWNER, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 CANBER 02533 01 OF 02 020736% COMING AS THEY DID AT THE END OF WHAT HE CONSIDERED TO. BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL VISITS TO EAST TIMOR AND JAKARTA. DOWNER STRONGLY DENIED THEIR VERACITY IN AN AUGUST 1 TELEVISION INTERVIEW (REFTEL) AND ORDERED DFAT TO SEND TO THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON FOR TRANSMISSION TO THE DEPARTMENT PRESS POINTS HE IS USING TO REBUT THE ARTICLES (TEXT OF THESE AT PARA 5 BELOW). MULES URGED THAT, IN RESPONDING TO PRESS QUERIES ABOUT THESE STORIES, USG SPOKESMEN MAKE SIMILAR POINTS. 4, (SBU) POLCOUNS TOLD MULES THAT THE STORIES WERE LUDICROUS, AND HE AND MULES AGREED THAT THE U.S. -AUSTRALIAN COORDINATION ON EAST TIMOR HAS BEEN GOOD. MULES SAID DFAT BELIEVES THE ROTH-CALVERT CONVERSATION REFERRED TO IN THE ARTICLE MAY HAVE BEEN ONE WHICH TOOK PLACE AS LONG AGO AS FEBRUARY AND IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH BEAR NO RESEMBLANCE TO THOSE WHICH PERTAIN TODAY. NOTING THAT THE IMPLICATION OF THESE ARTICLES -- THAT AUSTRALIA IS SOMEHOW HOLDING UP AN INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING EFFORT IN EAST TIMOR .OUT OF DEFERENCE TO INDONESIAN SENSIBILITIES -- IS VERY CLOSE TO THE LINE OF THE OPPOSITION LABOR PARTY, MULES SUSPECTED THAT SOMEONE WITHIN THE GOA SYMPATHETIC TO LABOR WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MISCHIEVOUS BACKGROUNDING OF THE AUSTRALIAN PRESS. MULES ADDED THAT THE JOURNALISTS WRITING THESE ARTICLES SEEM Current Class: UNCLASSIFIED Page: 2 UNCLASSIFIEDCurrent Class: unczasstFre) NCLASSIFIED Page: 3 Current Handling: SBU Document Number: 1999CANBERO2533 Channel: n/a Case Number: 200402548 TO FAVOR A PEACEKEEPING OPERATION (PKO) IN EAST TINOR AND MAY HAVE WRITTEN THEIR STORIES TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THE GOA TO SUPPORT A PKO. (COMMENT: ONE OF THE JOURNALISTS WRITING THESE STORIES IS A LONG-TIME EAST TIMOR ACTIVIST WHO HAS FOR MANY YEARS SOUGHT TO EMBARRASS AUSTRALIAN : GOVERNMENTS OVER THEIR ALLEGEDLY "CRAVEN" HANDLING OF THE EAST TIMOR ISSUE. IT IS ENTIRELY PLAUSIBLE THAT HE MIGHT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 CANBER 02533 01 OF 02 0207362 ‘TRY TO DISTORT AN OUT OF CONTEXT LEAK INTO SOMETHING WHICH HE COULD USE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS DO NOT PERCEIVE A U.S.-AUSTRALIAN DISAGREEMENT ON THIS ISSUE. END COMMENT.) 5. (U) FOLLOWING ARE THE POINTS WHICH FM DOWNER IS USING WHEN RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ON THESE ARTICLES: BEGIN TEXT. EAST TIMOR - DISCUSSIONS WITH THE US REPORTS WHICH HAVE APPEARED IN THE WEEKEND PRESS ABOUT SO- CALLED AUSTRALIAN 'SNUBBING' OF US ‘ADVANCES! AND ‘OFFERS! ON EAST TIMOR ARE INACCURATE. I ONLY LAST WEEK DISCUSSED THE SITUATION IN EAST TIMOR WITH THE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE AND THIS MEETING REINFORCED THE CLOSE COOPERATION AND AGREEMENT THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. THERE HAVE OF COURSE ALSO BEEN WIDE-RANGING DISCUSSIONS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS, AND BOTH THE UNITED NATIONS AND INTERESTED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED -PTQ8813. PAGE 01 CANBER 02533 02 OF 02 020736z ACTION I0-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 ACQ-01 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 INL-01 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-01 EUR-01 OIGO-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 H-o1 TEDE-00 INR-00 1-01 ADS-00 AC-01 — DCP-02 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS0-00 $8-00 —TRSE-00 Current Class: UNCLASSIFIED Page: 3 UNCLASSIFIEDcurrent clase: vnctassrr1&JNCLASSIFIED cage Current Handling: sBU Document Number: 1999CANBERO2533 Channel: n/a 4 Case Number: 200402548 T-00 USIE-00 ASDS-01 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 —/o16w -E7BC8D 0207362 /38 © 020734z AUG 99 PM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4345 INFO AMEMBASSY JAKARTA INMEDIATE AMEMBASSY LISBON IMMEDIATE USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//FPA// IMMEDIATE JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE AMCONSUL SYDNEY AMCONSUL MELBOURNE AMCONSUL PERTH UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 CANBERRA 002533 SENSITIVE USCINCPAC FOR FPA TWINING SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA/AP SCHER UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 CANBER 02533 02 OF 02 020736% E.0. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL, KPKO, KCRM, UN, ID, AS, US SUBJECT: AUSTRALIAN PRESS TRIES TO MANUFACTURE A U.S.- AUSTRALIAN DISPUTE ‘OVER EAST TIMOR COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE US, ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EAST TIMOR SITUATION. THIS DIALOGUE HAS ALSO, QUITE NATURALLY, INCLUDED SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION ON CONTINGENCY PLANNING, AND HAS DEMONSTRATED THERE IS WIDE-RANGING AND BROAD AGREEMENT AMONGST ALL OF US ON THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND, AND POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS THERE. SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM MY DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE SECRETARY, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEPENSE HAVE FOR SOME MONTHS NOW BEEN DISCUSSING WITH A WIDE RANGE OF US OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS, ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE EAST TIMOR SITUATION. WHILE I HAVE NO INTENTION OF GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THESE DISCUSSIONS, I CAN CONFIRM THERE IS NO DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN US ON THE ISSUES CONFRONTING US - AND CERTAINLY NOTHING REMOTELY RESEMBLING A 'TENSE POLICY DISPUTE', ‘DIPLOMATIC SNUBS' OR ‘TENSE EXCHANGES! BETWEEN US. Current Class: UNCLASSIFIED Page: UNCLASSIFIEDCurrent Clase: unctassrrra)NCLASSIFIED Page: 5 Current Handling: sBU Document Number: 1999CANBER02533 Channel: n/a Case Number: 200402548 I WOULD ALSO UNDERLINE THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTINGENCY PLANNING IN THE POST-BALLOT PERIOD IN EAST TIMOR RESTS WITH THE UNITED NATIONS. INTERESTED COUNTRIES, INCLUDING AUSTRALIA AND THE US, ARE NATURALLY INVOLVED IN DISCUSSIONS ON POST-BALLOT SCENARIOS WITH THE UN. ANY POSSIBLE PEACEKEEPING CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE IN THE CONTEXT OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT AND UNDER UN AUSPICES. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 CANBER 02533 02 OF 02 020736z WE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE UNITED NATIONS TO ASSIST IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSITION IN EAST TIMOR, WHATEVER ITS FUTURE STATUS MAY BE. END TEXT. BELLAMY UNCLASSIFIED << END OF DOCUMENT >> Current Class: UNCLASSIFIED Page: 5 UNCLASSIFIED