Demagogue

If true, this is a staggering development on many levels - one sure to further complicate an increasingly complex problem

Sudan's government has rejected a United Nations peacekeeping mission aimed at stopping violence against residents of Darfur, and a UN official said al-Qaeda terrorists have threatened to attack any troops deployed there.

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[Jan Pronk, the UN's top envoy to Sudan] said preparations for a UN mission to Darfur have also been thrown into doubt by the African Union's reconsideration of the transition. It is no longer certain what the AU, which initially supported the idea, will decide at a March 10 meeting on the issue, he said.

"We are in a stalemate politically," Pronk said. "The climate in Khartoum against the UN is heating up. There are threats, warnings about al-Qaeda."

Pronk said intelligence shows there are "persons in Khartoum who were not there before," meaning al-Qaeda terrorists who have threatened his life and would act against any UN troops, particularly non-Africans. Khartoum is Sudan's capital.