Iran warns West of meddling in Tunisia

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses crowds of people in the central Iranian city of Yazd, January 19, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/160878.html


Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned the United States, Israel and some Western states not to interfere in Tunisia and Lebanon's internal affairs.

Addressing crowds of people in the central Iranian city of Yazd on Wednesday, President Ahmadinejad emphasized that Western countries aim to deprive the Tunisians of their rights through psychological warfare.

Massive riots and protests have rocked Tunisia this past month. The Riots broke out in Tunisia following the self-immolation of a 26-year-old fruit vendor, identified as Muhammad Bouazizi, who set himself on fire after police confiscated his merchandise.

President Ahmadinejad urged Tunisian politicians to exercise vigilance in face of foreign interference and pay due attention to the needs and choices of their people, adding that Tunisians want an Islamic government.

Elsewhere in his speech, the Iranian president slammed the Western-backed UN tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

President Ahmadinejad called on the US and its European allies to stop meddling in Lebanon, which he said is at a critical juncture.

Lebanon is in a political standoff after Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government collapsed on Wednesday when 11 Hezbollah-affiliated ministers resigned in a dispute over the US-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), probing the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri in 2005.

The US-sponsored tribunal is reportedly about to indict some Hezbollah members in the Hariri murder case -- an allegation which has been vehemently rejected by the Lebanese resistance movement.

The Iranian chief executive also called for the promotion of unity among all Lebanese factions.

Pointing to the "Iranian nation's achievements" over the past 32 years, the Iranian president said," Today the Iranian nation is shining in the world and has brought its enemies to their knees."