The West is to blame for regional unrest, Ahmadinejad says
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the West is "seeking destruction and a reinforcement of their evil dominance in the region."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks on National Army Day
- Ahmadinejad says West is creating discord in the region
- Unrest has spread across more than a dozen nations in the Middle East and North Africa
Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the West for unrest bubbling throughout the Middle East and North Africa in a speech Monday on Iran's National Army Day.
"They are trying to foment discord in the region. They are trying to cause destruction and provoke wars between nations and governments in order to sell their weapons," Ahmadinejad said in a speech translated into English by state-run Press TV. "They are seeking destruction and a reinforcement of their evil dominance in the region."
The Iranian president's accusations come as NATO planes are enforcing a U.N.-approved no-fly zone over Libya and also are launching airstrikes on Libyan government troops as opposition forces battle them.
Ahmadinejad also warned of what he said are Western efforts to trigger sectarian strife between Shia and Sunni Muslims, while calling for cooperation between nations in the region.
Unrest has spread across parts of the Middle East and North Africa since January when popular uprisings began in Tunisia and Egypt, which eventually unseated the governments there. The political unease has spread in varying degrees to more than a dozen other nations.
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Pro-Mubarak supporters believe Egypt's former president is innocent of charges of corruption and killing protesters.
Fighting in Libya started with anti-government demonstrations in February and escalated into a nationwide civil war.
After months of seeming stalemate, Libyan rebels declared they were moving in on Tripoli. But who are they?
Six months and more than 17,000 air sorties after it began, NATO's Operation Unified Protector in the skies over Libya grinds on.
Click on countries in CNN's interactive map to see the roots of their unrest and where things stand today.
Are you in the Middle East or North Africa? Send iReport your images. Don't do anything that could put you at risk.
Behind the official smiles for the cameras some people in Libya's capital are waiting for the rebels, reports CNN's Ivan Watson.
Tunisia's Mohamed Bouazizi not only ignited a series of revolts but heralded the first appearance of Arab youth on the stage of modern history.
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