According to the Washington Times, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld opposes sending more troops on a foreign mission.

The United Nations, Britain and France have urged the United States to lead an international peacekeeping force in Liberia, where tens of thousands have fled the brutal civil war.

But the United States is already heavily involved in missions in Afghanistan and particularly in Iraq, where pressure is mounting for extra troops to be sent to secure the country.

The Washington Post said the Defence Department "is reluctant to spread its resources even thinner" when it already has more than 200,000 troops in Iraq, the rest of the Gulf and Afghanistan.

But the New York Times quoted two senior military officials as saying the administration is considering sending between 500 and 2,000 US troops to Liberia. It said the final figure would be determined after a decision is made about the force's precise mission.

The Defence Department has ordered military planners to prepare detailed options for American troops to join an international peacekeeping force to monitor a ceasefire in Liberia, the daily added.

The White House said Thursday that President George W. Bush, who leaves for a trip to Africa early next week, was weighing the options. Bush urged Liberia's beleaguered President Charles Taylor to leave the stricken West African nation.

But the New York Times quoted a senior military official and a senior administration official as saying it was almost certain that Bush would announce that US troops would join a number of African nations in trying to restore stability in Liberia.

A senior defense official said any American troops would probably stay only a few months, according to the report.

The final decision on a peacekeeping force is likely to be influenced by a variety of factors, including whether Taylor heeds Bush's call to quit.

WAR.WIRE