East Timor in State of Emergency

Source: AP

DILI, East Timor (AP) — Armored U.N. vehicles guarded East Timor's leaders Tuesday under a state of emergency declared after rebel soldiers critically wounded the Nobel Peace Prize-winning president and fired at the prime minister's convoy.

The army chief blamed the United Nations — which oversees a 1,400-member international police force — for failing to protect the country's two top leaders and demanded an outside investigation.

But the U.N. deputy head for East Timor said President Jose Ramos-Horta had wanted his security to be provided by national authorities.

Ramos-Horta was airlifted to an Australian hospital where surgeons said Tuesday he was "extremely lucky to be alive" after they operated for three hours to remove bullet fragments and repair chest wounds.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gGlbl_G-Sa8auVrMl-D0YwOzUydAD8UOUGM00

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earlier thread on shooting: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3176819&mesg_id=3176819