Tarek Aziz says Iraq will not attack other countries if U.S. attacks

AFP via Babelfish translation ^ | October 2, 2002

[HAL9000]

Iraq will not attack other countries in the event of American attack (Aziz)

Wednesday October 02, 2002 - 8h27 GMT

ANKARA, Oct. 2 (AFP) - Iraq will not attack other countries of the régon in the event of American attack, affirmed Wednesday the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Aziz at the time of a press conference in Ankara.

"We will not exert reprisals against anyone in the area, except against the American attacker which violates our territory," Mr. Aziz affirmed.

Such an attack would carry however wrong to the relations between Iraq and Turkey, it added, affirming: "we should not make us evil".

Mr. Aziz had declared the day before which Iraq would not consider any more Turkey, which lodges on the basis of Incirlik (southern) of the British and American planes, as a friendly country if it decided to place its bases at the disposal of the Americans.

[Cold Heat]

I saw the interview.

He (not so diplomatically) threatened Turkey with un-explained reprisals if turkey helped the U.S. in any way to attack Iraq.

Reading through the lines I assume it would mean cutting off turkeys oil supply and promoting Kurdish violence on the border.

[Cindy]

"Iraq will not attack other countries of the régon in the event of American attack, affirmed Wednesday the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Aziz at the time of a press conference in Ankara."

*graphic by Cindy

[WyldKard]

Going to bookmark this one, for the day when Iraq attacks someone else.

[chainsaw]

"Iraq will not attack other countries of the régon in the event of American attack, affirmed Wednesday the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Aziz at the time of a press conference in Ankara."

Which Means "we sure as hell don't want Israel in on the this".

[JasonC]

They also probably got a notice from the Turks that any military hostility due to the use of Turkish bases would meet a full scale invasion of northern Iraq by a boatload of Turkish ground forces and the annexation of Kurdistan. This is called "blinking".

[knighthawk]

Iraq would not dare, because Turkey would finish off Saddam.