Harper: Libya air mission poses risks

Canadian jets will "very soon" be a part of extensive aerial operations over Libya to protect innocent civilians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says.

Harper'scomment Saturday inPariscameas U.S. launched cruise missiles at Libyan targets as part of a co-ordinated international military intervention against a violent crackdown by forces loyal toLibyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi.

Theprime minister was alsoquick tostress there are no guarantees that civilians or Canadian military personnel can avoid getting hurt in the mission.

"These campaigns are complicated and one cannot promise perfection," he told reporters following an emergency summit withrepresentativesfrom the United States, as well asEuropean and Arab nations.

"One cannot promise there will not be casualties on our side either. But obviously all precautions will be taken to minimize our own casualties and minimize those of innocent civilians.

"We should not kid ourselves. Whenever we engage in military action essentially acts of war these are difficult situations."

Harper reiterated theUN mandatedoes not call for ground troops and said he believesthe international aerial and naval operations will put the squeeze on the longtime Libyan ruler's authority.

"If Mr. Gadhafi loses his capacity to enforce hiswill through vastly superior armament, thathe simplywon't be able to sustain grip on the country," Harper said."He will not last very long."

Earlier Saturday, the Prime Minister'sOffice said Canada's six CF-18s deployed to the regionneed more time to get ready for any international military air mission to enforce a United Nations no-fly zone over Libya.

"Canadian fighter jets have just reached the region and will require two days to prepare for any missions," Andrew MacDougall, the prime minister's press secretary, said in an email statement on Saturday.

TheCF-18shave been deployed tojoin an international effort to enforce a UN Security Council resolution that is trying to prevent violence by forces loyal to Gadhafi against rebels and civilians.

Gadhafi announced a ceasefire Friday and invited international monitors to provide verification, but reports emergedSaturday ofintensified fighting and airstrikes in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

But Harper on Saturdaycalled Gadhafi's pledge "an obvious lie from the beginning."

Canada 'open to all options': Cannon

Canada's military effort was also acknowledged several times in remarks about Libya by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday.

Clinton, who was at the emergency summit in Paris,repeatedly referred to theinvolvement of "our European and Canadian allies."

Harper was accompanied at the one-day summitby Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Gen. Walt Natynczyk, the chief of the defence staff.

In an interviewSaturday on CBC Radio's The House, Cannon said Canada is"open to all options"in responding to the Libyan crisis.

When asked by host Kathleen Petty if that includes "boots on the ground," Cannon said if that were required to "protect citizens that are being literally murdered by [Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi, that's what the resolution calls for."