MOSCOW. Oct 18 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian top military officials oppose a military solution to the Iraqi issue, Colonel General Yury Baluyevsky, first deputy chief-of-staff of Russia's Armed Forces, told a news conference at Interfax on Friday.
"We want UN inspectors to return to Baghdad as soon as possible," he said. The general also said that the international community should make a decision to stop the production of weapons of mass destruction or to destroy such weapons if they are found.
Baluyevsky said he opposed a military solution to the problem of Iraq, because "a war is not a result, it is always death and losses."
In addition, he recalled that military action will entail a lot of expenses for the restoration of things damaged. The general gave the example of Yugoslavia, when the allies and partners had to carry the burden of restoring the country's economy after the U.S.- led military operation.
Baluyevsky did not back the so-called peacekeeping option: to bring a powerful contingent to Iraq along with UN inspectors. "This is also a military option and a direct escalation of war," he said. is real. Now, it is necessary to minimize the threat of a real attack on Iraq," Baluyevsky said.
The Iraqi administration is stressing its readiness to fulfil all the necessary conditions for inspections by the international community.
In this connection, Baluyevsky shared his impressions of his meeting with the U.S. president, which he believes explains the U.S. position on the Iraqi issue. "It looks like Bush physically cannot stand the president of Iraq," he said.