By Tito Belo
DILI (Reuters) - East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta wasshot and critically wounded at his home in Dili on Monday in anassassination attempt by rebel soldiers that analysts saidcould spark renewed violence and political chaos in the tinynation.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao escaped injury in anothershooting also on Monday morning, officials said, but the exactmotives for the attacks and details of what happened remainedunclear late on Monday.
Australia, which was invited to send in forces to maintainsecurity following fresh violence in 2006, pledged to send moretroops to Asia's youngest nation after the apparentlycoordinated attack on East Timor's two most famous independencefigures.
Canberra has played a key role in helping with East Timor'ssecurity, fearing a civil war in its immediate backyard anddisruption to vital energy interests in the area.
Residents in Dili reported the capital appeared calm andGusmao said Ramos-Horta was in a stable condition after theattack in which a key rebel leader, Alfredo Reinado, waskilled.
The president, who shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize withcompatriot Bishop Carlos Belo for their non-violent strugglefor East Timor's independence from Indonesian occupation, wasoperated on by an Australian military medical team in Dilibefore being flown to Darwin in northern Australia fortreatment.
"This is a serious attempt on a democratic state," Gusmaotold a news conference. He later said that he had asked theacting president, deputy speaker of parliament VicenteGuterres, to impose a curfew in the capital until Wednesday.
An Australian medical official said Ramos-Horta, who wasflown to Darwin on life support and in an induced coma, wasstable but would undergo further surgery for two bullet wounds.
"He has wounds to the abdomen and lower chest. They arevery serious wounds, particularly the chest injury is extremelyserious," Dr Len Notaras, general manager of Royal DarwinHospital, told Reuters.
"The next 24 to 48 hours will tell us about his progress.We are optimistic that the good surgical skills here...willmean he will have a good chance of recovery," Notaras said.
COORDINATED ATTACKS
The former Portuguese colony of almost 1 million peoplegained full independence in 2002 after a U.N. sponsored vote in1999, which was marred by violence, ended more than two decadesof brutal Indonesian occupation.
But East Timor has been unable to achieve stability.
Tensions rose this month after rebels loyal to rebel leaderReinado, who was blamed for Monday's attacks, fired onAustralian troops patrolling near Dili.
"Prime Minister Xanana is going to have to work very hardto ensure the government retains its cohesion. It's a crisisnow," said Damien Kingsbury, associate professor at Australia'sDeakin University.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was "deeplyshocked" by what appeared to be "coordinated attacks aimed atassassinating the democratically-elected leadership".
Rudd said he would visit East Timor later in the week toinspect security after a request from Gusmao.
Australia plans to send around 200 quick reaction troopsimmediately to the fledgling nation, along with 50 to 70police.
New Zealand, which has more than 200 soldiers and police inEast Timor, was putting additional troops on standby, NewZealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff said.
International security forces in East Timor, led by around800 Australian soldiers, had secured key buildings in Dili andincreased patrols in the capital and across the country.
East Timor has been struggling to get back on its feetafter the army tore apart along regional lines in 2006. Thefactional bloodshed killed 37 people and drove 150,000 fromtheir homes, with foreign troops needed to restore orderbetween warring neighbourhoods.
MEETING WITH REBELS
The motives for Monday's attacks was not immediately clear.
Rebel leader Reinado had led a revolt against thegovernment and was charged with murder during the 2006factional violence.
But Ramos-Horta had met Reinado for talks as recently asJanuary in an attempt to reach a deal with rebel forces inwhich they would give up arms in return for talks onoutstanding grievances and legal issues, according to themediation group, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
The military said attackers in two cars were involved inthe early morning raid on the president's isolated home, whilea motorcade with Gusmao's car was targeted, officials said.
"No one was wounded but Gusmao's car was damaged bybullets," said the official, adding that Gusmao's family hadbeen taken to a military compound for protection.
Security analyst Alan Dupont, from Sydney think-tank theLowy Institute, said the shooting would "destabilise East Timorfurther at a time when they looked to be recovering from theproblems of the last 12-18 months."
The predominantly Roman Catholic country, slightly smallerthan Hawaii, is one of Asia's poorest nations, although it isstrategically important for neighbours Australia and Indonesia,and has potentially lucrative oil and gas reserves.
(Additional reporting by Adhityani Arga and Muklis Ali inJakarta, Rob Taylor in Canberra and Michael Perry in Sydney;Writing by Ed Davies and Sara Webb; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
