AUSTRALIA TROOPS ARRIVE IN THE SOLOMON ISLAND'S CAPITAL HONIARA, 2003-07-24 (photo)

The first Australian troops from the HMAS Manoura arrive on Red Beach just outside the Solomon Island's capital of Honiara July 24, 2003 as part of the 2000-strong intervention force consisting of police, troops and support personnel. Red Beach was the site of where the United States launched their first major offensive against the Japanese during World War Two, and was so-called after the sand turned red due to the blood spilt there. The force, the largest military deployment in the region since World War Two, has the authority to use 'lethal force' if they are threatened by any resistance in the near-bankrupt and lawless South Pacific nation. Ethnic fighting and lawlessness has claimed hundreds of lives in the Solomons during the past five years, with up to 30,000 people driven from their homes. REUTERS/David Gray PP03070099 DG/PB