The American Ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke, has warned that Indonesia would face international isolation if the military ousted President Abdurrahman Wahid.

The warning follows reports of rumours of the army hatching plans to overthrow the president.

"We would view with the greatest possible concern any such event," said Mr Holbrooke.

" It would do Indonesia immense, perhaps irreparable, damage. I hope that those rumours are false."

Mr Holbrooke, who currently holds the UN Security Council's rotating presidency, also called on the Indonesian army to cooperate with an investigation into human rights abuses in East Timor.

He said the US government believed the military was "doing immense damage to Indonesia" by continuing to thwart the probe.

The ambassador warned that failure to co-operate would increase calls for an international tribunal to prosecute members of the armed forces implicated in the abuses.

Mr Holbrooke said the US would continue its Indonesian arms embargo until there is "full accountability" for the crimes, and refugees from East Timor are able to return home without fear of being attacked or intimidated.

The ambassador's remarks come as President Wahid strives to dilute the power of an increasingly restive military.

Generals want a freer hand to control uprisings in Aceh and other areas and are angered by efforts to prosecute officers for abuses in East Timor.

President Wahid, whose cabinet includes a civilian defence minister for the first time, said on Thursday that he had asked the military to fire its spokesman, after he had openly warned the president to keep his hands off the military.