Ankara: Iraq will not attack any nations in the region if the United States goes ahead with a strike against Baghdad, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz told reporters on October 2.

However, he did say that Iraq would fight back at forces from the United States, which has been threatening military action and has called for the ouster of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

"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 said.

He also rejected a US call for a new UN Security Council resolution on weapons inspections in Iraq, which came after Iraq and the United Nations reached a deal on 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.