East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta is critical of the failure of international forces to quickly capture the rebels who attacked him in Dili last month.
Dr Ramos-Horta is recovering in Darwin after being flown to Australia with gunshot wounds from an assassination attempt outside his home on February 11.
He said Australian-led international forces could have immediately blockaded the city after the attack and captured the rebels before they escaped.
"They would have captured them within hours because for many hours after the attack on my house they were still in the hills around my house," he told ABC Television.
But Dr Ramos-Horta said he didn't feel anger towards Australian troops themselves. "No I don't," he said. "The Australian troops only act upon requests from United Nations."
Dr Ramos-Horta spoke of the attack itself, estimating he lay bleeding on the ground after being shot for half an hour, screaming for an ambulance.
"The gunman was there hiding near my gate and took aim at me," he said. "I was just lucky that as I saw him I turn around to run. That's why he didn't hit on my chest on the left side, he hit me on the back on the right side."
The gunman was just 10 metres away when he fired, Dr Ramos-Horta said. "I looked at his eyes, not friendly and he was determined to fire," he said. "That's why I turned to run and was hit."
Dr Ramos-Horta had lost four out of five litres of blood by the time he was transported to an Australian military hospital in Dili.
"Luckily the Australian young men and women in the defence force in Timor gave me a lot of blood," he said. "So I was saved by the Australian medics, doctors and nurses in Dili as well by the blood donated by Australian soldiers."
Dr Ramos-Horta said he believed the attack was an assassination attempt, rather than a failed kidnapping. He was confident East Timor would weather the upheaval.
"I think a lesson has been drawn from this that we must really step back from all violence," he said. "I cannot guarantee that there will be no further violence in the country, but I believe the vast majority of people are even more shocked today than ever before."
Dr Ramos-Horta is hoping to return to East Timor next month.