TEHRAN, IRAN—Amid calls for US military involvement in Libya, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is flexing his muscles by warning the US of dire consequences if it intervenes by spending troops to Libya.
In recent weeks, some in Washington have called for US military intervention to oust the Libyan dictator, Muammar Al Gathafi. As the Libyan dictator for the past 41 years, Gathafi has vowed to retain power despite heavy fighting between the opposition forces and Gathafi loyalist.
Ahmadinejad appeared for a public speech in the province of Lorestan and told the crowd “[Bush] used a deception named September 11 to prepare the ground to invade Iraq and Afghanistan," adding “be warned that if you intervene militarily one more time, in any of the countries in North Africa or the Middle East, the regional nations will rise and dig the graves of your soldiers,” referring to the United States.
In his fiery speech, Ahmadinejad told the audience that all of the Middle East dictators are selected and backed by the United States.
"Today, they [the West] claim they are confronting dictators… [But] everywhere in the world, in all of the Muslim world, in all of the Middle East, wherever there is a dictator, he is backed by them," said Ahmadinejad.
"And now they come and say they want to support the people… but your plans have been derailed… today no one recognises your claim of supporting the people."
Ahmadinejad said the US weapons were killing people all over the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign ministry reiterated Ahmadinejad’s warnings against military action in Libya.
But US military intervention in Libya is unlikely. The US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said "there is no unanimity within NATO for the use of armed force" in Libya. Gates added “We also have to think about frankly the use of the US military in another country in the Middle East.”
It is doubtful that Iran’s warnings against US military action in Libya played any part in Washington’s decision to stay put.
And it is also quite probable the Iranian’s President knew in advance of his speech that the United States had no plans to attack Libya.
As it is frequently the case, Ahmadinejad’s fiery speeches are more for domestic consumption and less to do with foreign policy. The Iranian political establishment is keenly attentive to the fact that Ahmadinejad’s rhetorics carry little or no weight with the Islamic Republic’s foreign counterparts.