[Oztrich Boy]

So much for America's most dependable ally. Secretary of State Rice ought to consider making a trip to Tokyo Djakarta to hint that the US would not automatically support Australia against future Japanese Imdonesian Imperialism in the Coral Sea South east Asia.

No wait. We already got that messsge from the US State Department in the 1960s (not a criticism, as naturalman has pointed out, there are some things the treaties do not cover - and when they don't, support is not automatic)

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Unless Australia had stated both that it would militarily support East Timor and that Australia considered China to be a longtime ally, your analogy to Foreign Minister Downer's statement to U.S. statements from the 1960's is inapplicable.