Prime Minister Jean Chretien says Canada is backing U.S. efforts to get the United Nations Security Council to pass a tougher resolution before weapons inspectors return to Iraq.
"We want the Iraqi government to accept the resolution at the UN," Chretien said, before receiving a humanitarian award in New York City. "They have to comply. If they don't comply, there will be great consequences for Saddam Hussein."
The prime minister was referring to calls from the U.S. earlier for a tougher, UN resolution that gives UN inspectors access to all sites in Iraq.
On Tuesday, chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said Iraq had agreed on details to allow weapons inspectors to resume. However, the inspections would be restricted by an old set of resolutions that prohibited access to Saddam's eight presidential palace sites.
"We do not believe that they should go back in under the old set of resolutions and under the old inspections regime," U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters Tuesday.
"And therefore we do not believe they should go in until they have new instructions in the form of a new resolution."
That U.S.-drafted resolution is currently being debated by the Security Council. The resolution also seeks permission for Washington to launch military action against Iraq if the country fails to disclose any programs designed to develop weapons of mass destruction.
If a UN team does return to Iraq, four Canadians are likely to be among the inspectors. A Canadian diplomat at the UN told Canadian Press Tuesday that the four inspectors, who can't be named for security reasons, have been placed on alert and told to prepare to head to Iraq.
They include two former military officers and two officials linked to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Meanwhile, an emergency debate got underway in Ottawa Tuesday night.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham kicked off the take-note debate, meaning there will be no vote on any resolution. In his remarks, Graham reiterated Canada's support for the resolution, saying that while talks with weapons inspectors yielded some progress, there is always the danger that Iraq will try to get out of the deal.
"We cannot accept the assurances just by themselves," he said. "And it is for this reason, colleagues, that we have supported the United States and the U.K. in their efforts to obtain a strong and clear Security Council resolution that will achieve two vital purposes."
Those purposes include giving Iraq a chance to fully comply with the UN resolution, and secondly, to set out consequences if Baghdad fails to do that.
Canada does not have a seat on the 15-member UN Security Council but is trying to drum up support for a hard line on Iraq.
Before leaving for New York, Chretien said any action against Iraq should be sanctioned by the Security Council.
"It is the best way to deal with states that support terrorism or that attempt to develop weapons of mass destruction -- and deal with them we must. We must deal collectively and directly with those who threaten our peace and security."
"We want the Iraqi government to accept the resolution at the UN," Chretien said, before receiving a humanitarian award in New York City. "They have to comply. If they don't comply, there will be great consequences for Saddam Hussein."
The prime minister was referring to calls from the U.S. earlier for a tougher, UN resolution that gives UN inspectors access to all sites in Iraq.
On Tuesday, chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix said Iraq had agreed on details to allow weapons inspectors to resume. However, the inspections would be restricted by an old set of resolutions that prohibited access to Saddam's eight presidential palace sites.
"We do not believe that they should go back in under the old set of resolutions and under the old inspections regime," U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told reporters Tuesday.
"And therefore we do not believe they should go in until they have new instructions in the form of a new resolution."
That U.S.-drafted resolution is currently being debated by the Security Council. The resolution also seeks permission for Washington to launch military action against Iraq if the country fails to disclose any programs designed to develop weapons of mass destruction.
If a UN team does return to Iraq, four Canadians are likely to be among the inspectors. A Canadian diplomat at the UN told Canadian Press Tuesday that the four inspectors, who can't be named for security reasons, have been placed on alert and told to prepare to head to Iraq.
They include two former military officers and two officials linked to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Meanwhile, an emergency debate got underway in Ottawa Tuesday night.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham kicked off the take-note debate, meaning there will be no vote on any resolution. In his remarks, Graham reiterated Canada's support for the resolution, saying that while talks with weapons inspectors yielded some progress, there is always the danger that Iraq will try to get out of the deal.
"We cannot accept the assurances just by themselves," he said. "And it is for this reason, colleagues, that we have supported the United States and the U.K. in their efforts to obtain a strong and clear Security Council resolution that will achieve two vital purposes."
Those purposes include giving Iraq a chance to fully comply with the UN resolution, and secondly, to set out consequences if Baghdad fails to do that.
Canada does not have a seat on the 15-member UN Security Council but is trying to drum up support for a hard line on Iraq.
Before leaving for New York, Chretien said any action against Iraq should be sanctioned by the Security Council.
"It is the best way to deal with states that support terrorism or that attempt to develop weapons of mass destruction -- and deal with them we must. We must deal collectively and directly with those who threaten our peace and security."
