NATO ruled out sending troops to Sudan's Darfur

"No one is discussing, planning or considering a NATO force on the ground in Darfur. That is not one of the options," spokesman James Appathurai told reporters Wednesday after a meeting of NATO ambassadors.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a NATO official told United Press International that the idea of the alliance dispatching ground troops to Darfur was a "non-starter with the Africans, a non-starter with the UN and a non-starter with NATO."

Officials in Brussels also criticized the US president for sending out confused messages about what he expects from the alliance. "Bush has been a little bit unclear in his language," said one, referring to the president's call for 20,000 peacekeepers to be sent to Darfur under NATO's command.

Full report (UPI/ST) 30 Mar 2006.