Fed: Peacekeeper's murder will not deter Aust mission: Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2004
Fed: Peacekeeper's murder will not deter Aust mission: Downer

ADELAIDE, Dec 22 AAP - Australia was considering sending additional "military assets"

to the Solomon Islands following the murder of a young Canberra peacekeeper, Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer said today.

Adam Dunning, 26, died early today after he was shot twice in the back as he patrolled
the capital, Honiara, as part of an Australian contingent sent to restore law and order
there.

The Australian Protective Service officer was one of 209 Australians remaining in the
Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) which arrived in the country
in July last year.

The attack appeared to be the work of a sniper intent on targeting the Australian led
RAMSI mission, Australian Federal Police chief Mick Keelty has said.

Mr Downer said Australia was considering sending additional "military assets" to reinforce
the mission.

He described the murder as a tragic event, adding the government did not yet know if
the attack was opportunistic or premeditated.

"We won't be cowed by this," Mr Downer told reporters in Adelaide.

"We are utterly determined to ensure that the improvements that have taken place in
law and order in the Solomon Islands remain.

"We want to send a very simple message to anybody in the Solomon Islands who thinks
that by intimidating or resorting to murder they are going to drive away the Regional
Assistance Mission.

"Those people will fail.

"We will not be intimidated, we will retain our determination to ensure that this mission
in the Solomon Islands continues to be the success that it has already been."

Commissioner Keelty and Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison are heading to the Solomons
later today.

AAP sl/kb/tnf

KEYWORD: SOLOMON AUST DOWNER

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