EAST TIMOR RECRUT MORE TROOPS, F-FDTL JOINT EXERCISE WITH USA MARINES

Tempo Semanal-Dili, 08.03.2011

EastTimor Defense Secretary DR. Julio Tomas Pinto has informed Tempo Semanal that there will be a joint exercise between the Timorese army and United State Marine in East Timor in early of Abril this year.

Julio said it's a great opportunity for the new Timorese professional armed forces to US marines experience.

The United state of America support to the East Timor Defense Force mainly focusing on the human capacity building such as send some F-FDTL member to be part of IMET program, work experience with F-FDTL engineers.

But DR. Pinto hopes the United State could help to fund some of the infrastructures for east Timor Defense force. He wish the USA could help to build a new navy based in south cost of the country which going to be use as a base for Timorese patrol boat to control it's southern cost and as a base for a joint exercise for F-FDTL, USA Marines and Australian Defense Force.

According to the planned this year joint training the US Marines will going to have exercise with the East Timor's F-FDTL Navy Component.




F-FDTL Marines component now a days have four patrol boats. Two second hand donated by Portugal in 2002 and two others boat bought from china after the Timorese Government not happy with some conditions came with with the Australian Pacific patrol boat program.

China the only donor is willing to funds East Timor Defense Force huge infrastructures such as East Timor Defense Force head quarter and Ministry of Defense building in dili as well as building one hundred houses for East Timor army in Metinaro compare to huge amount of funding from Australia and others wasting on Human resources.

F-FDTL transformed into the East Timor national arms forces from a guerilla forces namely Falintil in 2001.

A high rank East Timor Defense Force told Tempo Semanal this week that they need some support conditions to build a modern army forces. "We need to build a small but strong and modern army forces for East Timor," Said the F-FDTL officer who asked Tempo Semanal not to publish his name. (TS).