Ahmadinejad: NATO's mission in Libya exacerbated conflict

By the CNN Wire Staff

October 22, 2011 -- Updated 0441 GMT (1241 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• He says the sovereignty of all nations should be respected
• The position of the United States in countries such as Libya and Syria has not helped, he says
• The United States has accused Iran of involvement in a plot to kill a Saudi ambassador

(CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday slammed NATO's role in Libya, saying he believed it exacerbated the conflict and undermined the sovereignty of the nation
"It was the will of the people that should work. ... justice, freedom and respect -- this is the right of all nations," he said in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria.
He said his stance was "not different" following the death Thursday of ousted Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi.
Ahmadinejad also took aim the United States, saying the country is "hated" in the Middle East and should keep out of regional affairs, such as the conflict in Syria.
"Justice dictates that nobody should kill the other. Nobody has the right to kill others ... neither the government nor the opponents," Ahmadinejad said. "We are going to make greater efforts to both encourage the government of Syria and the other side and all parties to reach an understanding. We believe there should be no interference from outside."

'Interference from U.S. won't help' Syria

Syria is widely considered Iran's closest ally in the Middle East. Leaders in both countries have been criticized for brutally repressing democratic reform movements at home while supporting violent Islamic extremism abroad.
Ahmadinejad said the United States should realize the "era of colonialism is over" and review its policies, especially when it comes to pressuring the Middle East.
"We have no problem with the people of the United States. We love them," he said, adding that his problem is with the government.
"The United States has become weaker and weaker. Now they are hated in the region," he said.
The outspoken Ahmadinejad has long been a lightning rod for Iran's critics.
U.S. authorities have accused Iran of being involved in a plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, in spring 2012.
The alleged scheme involved a connection to the Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. A 56-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen and an Iran-based member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are accused of conspiring to hire hit men from a Mexican drug cartel to bomb a restaurant, where the ambassador would have been.
In his interview Saturday, Ahmadinejad dismissed the United States' claim of Iranian involvement.
"We never have any intention to hurt Saudi Arabia," he said. "We have no problem with Saudi Arabia."
Ahmadinejad also addressed accusations that Iran has misled the International Atomic Energy Agency, calling such claims "lies."
"The era of nuclear bombs is over," he said as he questioned the credibility of the agency.
Last month, the agency said Iran was not providing enough detail about its program for it to conclude Iran is engaged in only peaceful nuclear activities.
Ahmadinejad's stance on conflicts mirrors his speech last month at the U.N. General Assembly.
Delegations from the United States and several European nations, including France and the United Kingdom, walked out during his speech, in which he repeatedly condemned the United States and said some countries use the Holocaust as an "excuse to pay ransom... to Zionists."
In his remarks, Ahmadinejad called the September 11, 2001, attacks "mysterious" and said they were a pretext for a U.S.-led war against Afghanistan and Iraq.
He said the United States killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden instead of assigning a fact-finding team to investigate "hidden elements involved in September 11."
He also placed blame on the United States for numerous global problems including the financial crisis, criticizing it for dominating the world's "policy-making establishments," overspending on the military, and "printing trillions of dollars" that triggered inflation, according to an English translation of his speech provided by Iran's U.N. mission.
Ahmadinejad said the U.S. government views Zionism as "sacred," and that "European countries still use the Holocaust after six decades as the excuse to pay (a) fine or ransom to the Zionists."

Sphere: Related Content