Harper, who heads the largest opposition party in Parliament, the right-wing Canadian Alliance, used the word during a shouting match over Chretien's continued refusal to back the US-led coalition against Iraq.

The House of Commons will debate Thursday a motion, moved by Harper, "that the House of Commons of Canada express its regret and apologize for offensive and inappropriate statements made against the United States of America by certain members of this House."

This is a reference to remarks made recently by Liberal government ministers and backbenchers attacking Washington.

Cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal said US President George W. Bush had lacked statesmanship in the way he handled the pre-war international debate; anti-war Liberal backbencher Carolyn Parrish went further, saying to reporters: "Damn Americans. I hate those bastards."

Harper's motion, which was tabled Wednesday, will also ask the House to "reaffirm that the United States to be Canada's closest friend and ally; hope that the US-led coalition in Iraq is successful in removing Saddam Hussein's regime from power; and urge the Government of Canada to assist the coalition in the reconstruction of Iraq."

Political insiders say the motion stands no chance of being passed as the government has a clear majority in the house, but that likely a watered down motion that praises the United States will be adopted.

Much of Wednesday's debate was over what might happen if 31 Canadian troops, serving in British, American and Australian units on allied exchange programmes, are captured.

Canada has repeatedly said it would not support the war in Iraq unless military action were approved by the United Nations -- all the while it has three ships, a handful of planes and some 1,000 troops, including the integrated units, in the Persian Gulf.

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