Canberra – The United States denied a newspaper report Tuesday that it told Australian defense strategists in June it would consider deploying up to 15,000 troops to East Timor if bloodshed escalated there.

The Melbourne Age newspaper quoted a top-level diplomatic source as saying US plans for East Timor included a massive deployment of US troops, including marines, for peace-enforcement in the Jakarta-ruled territory. "Media reports that the United States has plans to send US troops to East Timor to maintain order in that territory are incorrect," the United States Information Service said in a statement released here.

"The United States has no plans to send US forces to East Timor, independently of the UN, to act as peacekeepers or peace enforcers." The Age report said US military officials were factoring Darwin, in Australia's north, into their plans and they had sought an agreement to attach Australian military liaison officers to a possible peace enforcement mission. But the US statement said any decision to send additional US personnel to East Timor would be made by the UN Security Council in consultation with interested parties, including the Indonesian government.

"The United States is not considering acting independently of these processes, nor has it invited Australia to take action in East Timor outside the UN context," the USIS said.

East Timor, a former Portuguese colony, will vote on August 30 to become independent or opt for special autonomy within Indonesia, which invaded the province in 1975 and annexed it a year later.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has denied similar newspaper reports of US troop involvement in East Timor and has also consistently denied any conflict between Australia and the US on what action should be taken there.

But Downer confirmed late Monday night that US military officials had informally raised peace-enforcement in East Timor and the possibility of Australia participating in such a force.

"This was not a formal United States government request nor did it reflect United States government policy," Downer told parliament. "I've been advised this was never subsequently raised with the Australian government nor as far as I know with the United States government itself."