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“Ankara can play an important role in preventing a U.S. aggression on Iraq.”
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ANKARA,
October 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Iraq will not attack any
nations in the region if the United States goes ahead with a military
operation against it, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz told a
press conference here on Wednesday, October 2.
But
he did say Iraq would strike back at U.S. forces. Washington has been
threatening military action to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein,
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
“We
are not going to retaliate against anybody in the region except the
American aggressor who violates our territory,” Aziz said.
“But
that is going to damage the future relations between the people of
Iraq and Turkey,” he added. Ankara, he suggested, “can play
an important role in preventing a U.S. aggression on Iraq.”
“If
Americans and the British decide to attack Iraq they have to use
regional resources,” he said referring to the use by the United
States and Britain of military bases in the region, especially that of
Incirlik, in southeastern Turkey.
On
Tuesday, Aziz said Iraq would no longer consider Turkey a friendly
nation if it allowed U.S. forces to use Incirlik for a military
operation. U.S. and British warplanes currently use the base to
enforce a “no-fly zone” over northern Iraq.
“Turkey
could also coordinate its political efforts with other countries who
are opposing the American aggression,” Aziz suggested.
Turkey,
a close U.S. ally, has recently made plain its opposition to a U.S.
military operation, saying U.N. inspectors should be allowed back into
Iraq to finish their monitoring work.
Aziz
also rejected a U.S. call for a new U.N. Security Council resolution
on weapons inspections in Iraq. This came after Iraq and the United
Nations had reached a deal in Vienna on the resumption of inspections
without new resolutions.
“This
proposal of the United States is unacceptable,” he said. “There
is no need for a resolution... the standing resolutions of the
Security Council concerning the inspections are valid and they are
enough for the perfect performance of the inspectors in their job,”
Aziz said.
Aziz
added that the question of mass destruction weapons raised by the
American state and Britain is a pretext to justify the unjustifiable
aggression on Iraq.
Washington
claims Iraq has been developing weapons of mass destruction and is
pressing the Security Council for a resolution that would endorse
military action if Baghdad does not cooperate with the inspections.
“I
am convinced a new resolution is appropriate with tough consequences
so we are not out here a year from now talking about this all over
again,” Powell said.
“Pressure
works. We’re going to keep it up.”
“The
United States faces a choice, either continue down the same road or
face up to the question posed by several American politicians - why
are we so hated,” he said.
