OTTAWA, Dec 20: Canada warned on Thursday against unilateral US military action in Iraq, saying if Washington struck alone against Saddam Hussein it could damage the carefully constructed global coalition against terrorism.

Ottawa has contributed ships, aircraft and soldiers to the campaign in Afghanistan but Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley told Reuters there was no guarantee these forces would take part in any action against Iraq.

Earlier on Thursday the US House of Representatives called on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to allow the unrestricted return of United Nations weapons inspectors, saying his continued refusal posed a mounting threat to the United States.

US President George W. Bush recently said Saddam would “find out” the consequences of not allowing the resumption of the inspections, triggering speculation that Washington might soon strike against Iraq.

But Manley said Canada would want to see clear justification for an attack, since military action could harm the international anti-terrorism coalition — which includes some Arab and Moslem nations — that was put together after the Sept. 11 suicide attacks.

Any action would have to be authorized under international law, he said, pointing out that the attacks on Afghanistan had been covered by a U.N. Security Council resolution.

“The coalition, of course, includes a number of Arab and Moslem countries and it’s going to be important for us to be able to explain it (action) in the context of international law,” he said in a phone interview from London.

“I’m not carrying any candle for Saddam Hussein here, I think he has created a very grave situation, but I think the United States needs to proceed very cautiously if they decide they’re going to do something about it,” he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday that a US attack on Iraq would only exacerbate tensions in the Middle East.

But Britain, America’s staunchest ally in its military campaign, has not ruled out supporting military action against states other than Afghanistan if there is convincing evidence of their involvement in terrorism.

Canada has sent six ships, six planes and 2,000 military personnel to support the campaign in Afghanistan. Manley said there was no guarantee they would take part in a campaign against Iraq.

“Certainly our participation — we’re already a military force in the region — would not be automatic. It would be something that we would have to consider carefully,” he said.

Asked if he feared the international coalition could start unraveling after a US attack on Iraq, Manley replied: “I do, and that’s why I believe the United States should be very cautious about it.”

The U.N. inspectors left Iraq in mid-December 1998 on the eve of a US-British bombing raid.—Reuters