The African Union announced today that it will extend the mandate of its 7,000 troop force in Darfur through the end of the year, a extension that Khartoum is expected to accept. Part of the extended mandate will include new funding from the Arab League. President Bashir is keeping up his opposition to the idea of a larger U.N. force coming in and replacing the A.U. troops, now calling the plan nothing more than a "Zionist plot" intended to "help Israel."