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Crisis measures announced by East Timor's president

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.

The announcement came shortly after Cabinet officials said the defense and interior ministers had been fired during emergency meetings to deal with a crisis that has killed at least 27 people and left the capital smoldering from arsonists' fires.

Gusmao released a statement late yesterday saying he would assume "sole responsibility" for defense and national security in his capacity as commander in chief, to "prevent violence and avoid further fatalities."

The emergency measures would take effect immediately and be valid for 30 days.

A military rebellion spurred the country's descent into chaos and foreign troops who began arriving late last week have so far failed to secure the city against machete- and torch-wielding mobs.

Admission of failure

Jose Ramos Horta, the country's Nobel peace prize-winner Foreign Minister, acknowledged yesterday that his government had "failed miserably" to prevent the unrest.

He directed the blame toward Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, though an official present at yesterday's meeting told reporters he would be staying on for the time being.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.

"In some areas, particularly in political dialogue in embracing everybody, in resolving problems as they arise, well, the government has failed miserably," Ramos Horta told Australian's Nine Network.

Mobs yesterday torched houses and ransacked government offices, including that of the attorney's general where they succeeded in breaking into the Serious Crimes Unit.

Files involving all of the most prominent Indonesian defendants in the 1999 massacres that followed East Timor's bloody vote for independence, including former General Wiranto, were stolen, said Attorney General Longuinhos Monteiro.

Asked if they had been specifically targeted in the looting, he replied: "We don't know."

Mounting frustration

Aid workers expressed frustration at the insecurity despite the presence of more than 1,300 foreign troops from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia after scuffles also broke out at a warehouse being used as a food distribution center.

Australian forces are "invisible," Tim Costello, chief of World Vision, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp, incensed that troops in body armor and with automatic weapons seemed unable to stop the machete-wielding gangs that have terrorized the capital.

The East Timorese government acknowledged that the Australian troops were "helpless" and said they would soon be given the power to detain suspects for 72 hours.
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