Aileu was chosen as a base because Falintil was founded there in the mid-1970s and encamped there before the 1999 vote.

ECONOMIST: Former guerrillas turn regular

East Timor may need international peacekeepers for years, and Falintil's 1, 000-plus troops (compared to the PKF's 8, 500) are not about to replace them any time soon.

CNN: We Won . . . So Now What?

Both Gusmao and Jos Ramos-Horta, the CNRT's No. 2 and de facto foreign minister, have reportedly proposed that Falintil troops could be integrated with the U.N.

CNN: Back in the Thick of It

Falintil needs UNTAET's expertise and humanitarian assistance, as well as its blessing to pursue links with countries like Australia and Portugal which are offering training and other incentives.

CNN: We Won . . . So Now What?

Falintil's biggest problem today is the sheer numbers of refugees who have flocked for protection to their camps, swamping their capacity to feed them, let alone conduct military operations.

CNN: Back in the Thick of It

About a fortnight ago, Interfet soldiers entered the deserted border town of Bilbao and came upon a boy carrying a written plea from people in Oecussi belonging to Falintil's political wing.

CNN: 'This Was Systematic'

About three months ago, in the Third Region Command in East Timor's southern Suai area, refugees began seeking protection around Falintil camps, confronting commander Falur Rate Laek with a serious dilemma.

CNN: Back in the Thick of It

Significantly, elite troops of Australia's Special Air Service Regiment, understood to have infiltrated into East Timor in advance of Interfet's arrival in Dili Sept. 20, have already linked up with Falintil's Ruak in his mountain base.

CNN: Back in the Thick of It