CITY COUNCIL DELAYS VOTE ON IRAQ WAR.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

A Los Angeles City Council panel shied away Thursday from taking a stance on opposing a war with Iraq, instead bundling the proposed resolution with related motions for the full council to debate Tuesday.

The resolution to oppose a unilateral war against Iraq was initiated by Councilman Eric Garcetti and backed by colleagues Ruth Galanter and Nate Holden.

Despite passionate testimony from members of the public in favor of the resolution, the council's Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee - whose members are council President Alex Padilla and Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski - did not vote to endorse the motion.

``We are here, many of us, in support of Councilman Garcetti's anti-war resolution,'' said Susan Philips of Neighbors for Peace and Action, which has spawned 66 smaller groups across the city that protest against war every Friday night.

In addition to some 50 people at the hearing, 160 sent letters or called Padilla's office asking him to support the motion - the most on any topic in recent history, said Padilla spokesman David Gershwin. One person called in opposition to the resolution.

Councilman Tom LaBonge offered a competing resolution, backed by council members Dennis Zine and Janice Hahn, that urges President George W. Bush to exhaust ``all diplomatic options prior to using military force in dealing with the growing crisis in Iraq.''

Both of the resolutions, along with a third one by Holden seeking council support for a federal effort to reinstate and expand the military draft, will be considered by the council next week.

If the council adopts the anti-war resolution, it would join some 90 cities that have already taken a stand against possible war with Iraq, including recently the cities of Santa Monica and San Fernando.

Some council members, including Wendy Greuel and Jack Weiss, say it's a waste of time to debate things outside of their control.

``This is not our job - our job is to improve the quality of life in the city and make sure the city is safe,'' Weiss said. ``The City Council's view on whether to go to war will be meaningless to the decision-makers.''

Mayor James Hahn has not taken a position on the issue, spokeswoman Julie Wong said.

Meanwhile, Weiss is pressing Congress to provide about $100 million to adopt anti-terrorism measures he outlined in a recent 10-point report on preparing the city for terrorism attacks.

``My patience has about run dry,'' Weiss said Thursday. ``The Bush administration has promised cities a paltry $3.5 billion for over a year and a half and has yet to deliver - in (federal Homeland Security Secretary) Tom Ridge's words - one dime.''