DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

Blair preparing to send troops to Sudan's Darfur region (AFP, 12/26/04)

Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) has ordered the military to prepare to deploy up to 3,000 soldiers to the conflict-torn Sudanese region of Darfur.

The Independent on Sunday newspaper, without quoting sources, said the deployment would be discussed next month with senior military officials.

"When you decide to make an intervention you have got to be able to move fast," it quoted an unnamed minister as saying.

Any deployment would be undertaken as part of a new European Union rapid reaction force, it said.

Together with the African Union they should be able to handle this without our having to redeploy American forces there.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 26, 2004 12:26 PM