PARIS, Sept 21, SPA -- France's defense minister on Thursday ruled out sending more troops to Afghanistan, saying that French forces were already engaged elsewhere. Speaking on RFI radio, Michele Alliot-Marie said Francewas not in a position to respond to a recent NATO requestfor 2,500 troops to augment forces in Afghanistan. «Let us not forget that we are present on a very largenumber of external fronts,» Alliot-Marie said. «I thinkthat other countries that are perhaps less engaged have thepossibility of participating in this reinforcement,» he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/391322