Aziz: retaliation possible if Kuwait permits US to attack

The Iraqi deputy premier Tareq Aziz told the Canadian TV that Iraq will not seek to attack targets inside the USA if Washington launches a war against it, but Baghdad might strike Kuwait.

Aziz was asked if this means that Baghdad will launch an attack against the USA. He said he does not mean so "because we do not have the means nor the desire to damage the USA." But he added that he can not rule out an Iraqi attack against Kuwait if the American forces will cross from Kuwait to Iraq.

He said that Kuwait is a battle field and the American forces in Kuwait are preparing themselves to attack Iraq, and if an attack is launched from Kuwait "I can not say we will not retaliate. Of course we will retaliate the American forces everywhere it starts its aggression (from) against Iraq. This is legitimate," he commented.