But Prime Minister Jean Chretien later contradicted that statement.

Lieutenant General Mike Jeffery, chief of Canada's Land Staff, told a House of Commons committee that if any of those countries sent more troops to Iraq, some of them could have Canadian exchange officers with them."

But later, Chretien -- confirming that there are currently 31 Canadian personnel serving with allied forces in Iraq -- insisted no more Canadian troops would be sent there.

Government officials said the apparent contradiction might be because Chretien meant no new Canadian troops were being flown into the area while Jeffery was suggesting that Canadian troops already in the Gulf region and attached to allied unit might be asked to accompany those allied units if they were called on to go to Iraq.

At the same time, Chretien told reporters after his weekly cabinet meeting, there were no plans to pull the 31 Canadian exchange officers out of Iraq even though Canada is technically neutral in the Iraq war.

He said the military exchange programmes, in which officers from one allied country are integrated into the units of other allies, had worked well for years and there was no reason to change the system.

Essentially, he said, soldiers on exchange become soldiers "in the other army ... it is a position that we don't want to change; otherwise it will destroy the meaning of these exchanges."

SPACE.WIRE