MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Iraq has no plans to attack other countries if a military operation is launched against it, Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Abbas Khalaf told a news conference at the Interfax main office in Moscow on Friday.
"Iraq is a victim of America's aggressive plans, and we do not intend to attack other countries," he said.
"Nobody can predict the consequences of a military operation," he said.
"Iraq is currently defending itself and is doing all it can to oppose America's aggressive plans," the ambassador said.
Asked whether a local war against Iraq can turn into a large- scale operation, Khalaf said that "when a war begins, nobody knows when it is going to end or what consequences it will have."
"Once the war machine is launched, nobody can guarantee that it will be stopped in two weeks or a week," the ambassador said.
"As a diplomat, I can say that military actions (against Iraq - Interfax-AVN) would have unpredictable consequences not only for our explosive region, but for the entire world. People of goodwill share this viewpoint," he said.
The Iraqi ambassador also anticipates difficulties for the American army if it attacks Iraq.
"Sandstorms have already been developing in Iraq, and the temperature will soon reach 50 degrees Celsius in the shade. American military machinery is not designed for operating under such conditions," Khalaf said.
The ambassador said that, despite a large amount of American troops near the Iraqi border, his country would win.
"In 1991, we withstood the pressure from both the U.S. and its allies," he said.