WASHINGTON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. delegation seeking a home for Africa Command (AFRICOM) received a chilly reception during its tour of North Africa early this month, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

    Algeria and Libya separately ruled out hosting the planned AFRICOM, and said they were firmly against any of their neighbors doing so, according to the report.

    U.S. diplomats said they were disappointed by the depth of opposition, given that the Bush administration has bolstered ties with both countries on security matters in recent years.

    Morocco, which has been mentioned as a possible site for the new command and is one of the strongest U.S. allies in the region, didn't roll out the welcome mat either.

    After the U.S. delegation visited Rabat, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry strongly denied a claim by an opposition political party that the kingdom had already offered to host AFRICOM. A ministry statement called the claim "baseless information."

    Rachid Tlemcani, a professor of political science at the University of Algiers, said the stern response from North African governments was a reflection of public opposition to U.S. policies in the predominantly Muslim region.

    The Bush administration announced in February that it intends to create a separate military command for Africa later this year.

    Responsibility for U.S. military operations on the continent is now divided primarily among the Central Command, the European Command and the Pacific Command.