A9 The U.S. is urging a standby force for Burundi.

Thirdly it provides a standby force for operations in the region such as in Operation Carbet, Haiti in 2004.

But American officials, without criticizing the Canadian plan, expressed reservations that a standby force might short-circuit the process of deciding when to send peacekeepers.

Regional Economic Communities would complement the African Union by establishing regional standby forces up to a brigade size.

The Council is in the process of overseeing the establishment of a "standby force" to serve as a permanent African peacekeeping force.

He recommended that U.N. members make available standby forces that could be rapidly deployed by the Security Council to deter chaos, famine and aggression.

But he said nothing about contributing U.S. volunteers to the standby forces.

Instead of posses, the world needs a standby force ready to move quickly under joint command before mass killings start.

Ms. Albright said a standby force ready to move at short notice could serve two purposes.

United Nations officials said such a standby force could move rapidly into Burundi.