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An attack on Port-au-Prince was unlikely Tuesday, as Mr. Philippe said his fighters had spent the night searching in vain for government forces. Mr. Aristide agreed to the peace plan on Saturday, but his political opponents have stalled, insisting that only his resignation can guarantee peace. The plan would allow him to remain President with diminished powers, sharing with political rivals a government that would organize elections. Western diplomats in Port-au-Prince confirmed Tuesday that Mr. Aristide had asked France for military intervention last week, when he publicly was asking only for more international assistance to strengthen his demoralized police force. French President Jacques Chirac said Tuesday that his country would consider contributing to a peacekeeping force under United Nations auspices.

“France does not exclude contributing to a civilian force for peace,” he said, adding however that such a deployment “depends on a decision of the Security Council.” French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin is to meet later this week in Paris with representatives of the Haitian government and opposition to try to resolve the crisis, the ministry said. “New efforts are being pursued today to persuade the legal opposition to adopt a constructive attitude,” ministry spokesman Hervé Ladsous said. In Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said Tuesday that it is still “impossible to say” what role Canada would take in any intervention in Haiti. “We're prepared to collaborate. We're prepared to perhaps send in police to support a political solution,” he said. “However, if the situation deteriorates to the point where there is bloodshed, we don't know exactly what form that intervention would be. “But it would have to be in collaboration with the international community, with the United States and other members of the Caribbean family.” The United States sent 50 marines to Port-au-Prince on Monday to protect the U.S. embassy and its staff.. At his news conference, Mr. Aristide made an emotional call for Haitians to stay in the country rather than flee to Florida, so that they can vote in new elections. "The criminals and terrorists went to the north, to Port-de-Paix, and burned private and public buses, killing people,” he said. “Unfortunately many brothers and sisters in Port-de-Paix will not come down to Port-au-Prince; they will take to the sea, they will become boat people.” Most boat people seeking to go to the United States are picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard and returned home. Others land in the Bahamas and Cuba. On Monday, 32 Haitian boat people landed in Jamaica, bringing to 62 the number who have arrived there in three boatloads in the past 10 days.  Jamaica has not seen numbers like that since the flood of boat people that fled the brutal military dictatorship in Haiti in 1991-94 after Mr. Aristide was ousted in a coup. Then, tens of thousands of refugees reached U.S. shores. Ten years ago, Washington sent 20,000 troops to end the dictatorship, restore Mr. Aristide and halt the exodus to Florida. But the Bush administration has made clear it will not commit a large number of troops this time. Mr. Philippe, still in Cap-Haitien, told the AP that his movement wants to re-establish the army, but he said a military dictatorship is “not good for the country.” The military should stay in the barracks,” said Mr. Philippe, formerly Aristide's assistant police chief for northern Haiti. He was a officer in the army during the coup. Even if the opposition coalition accepts the U.S. peace plan, the rebels insist that they will disarm only when Mr. Aristide is out of power.Asked if he was in contact with opposition politicians, Mr. Philippe smiled and said “not officially.” He refused to elaborate. Opposition leaders disputed that. “We refuse to have contacts with the rebels, as well as with Aristide,” said Mischa Gaillard, a spokesman for the opposition coalition. “We don't want to be tainted with any suspicion of condoning violence.” The opposition has said it is a nonviolent movement that supports the rebel goal of getting Mr. Aristide to step down. Mr. Aristide maintains that opposition factions are supporting the rebellion and the rebels are an armed wing of the political opposition. At least 70 people have died in the unrest since the revolt began. Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs insists that all Canadian missions in countries that are prone to natural disasters and political instability must draft contingency plans, which include evacuation measures, to be used depending on the level of alert in an evolving situation. In the "apprehensive phase," the mission follows developments closely, advises officials at headquarters in Ottawa and prepares to implement the next level, Mr. Doiron said. In the "warning phase," the mission advises Canadians, including mission dependents and non-essential staff, to leave while commercial transportation is available and prepares for a possible evacuation of remaining Canadians residing in the country. “That's exactly where we are” now in Haiti, Doiron said. In the third, or protective, phase, the Canadian community is evacuated. The final phase is withdrawal. The Canadian mission is shut down.-APWireNews-International