Canada Says Unlikely It Would Support Iraq Attack

August 20, 2002 (Reuters)

CHICOUTIMI, Quebec (Reuters) - Canada is not likely to take part in U.S.-led military action against Iraq unless stronger evidence shows up, Defense Minister John McCallum said on Tuesday.

McCallum said the Canadian government was still debating the issue but for now it did not have clear evidence that military action should be undertaken.

"Based on the information that we have now, everyone in this government has been saying it is unlikely that we would join an attack against Iraq," he told Reuters at a meeting of the governing Liberal Party in Chicoutimi, Quebec.

"But none of us are ruling it out because we don't know what information could come up," McCallum added.

He said that strong evidence of a threat of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons being produced by Iraq could lead to military action or United Nations sanctions.

"It is possible that Canada would join in at that time, but it is too early to say."

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