Fars:

Commander Warns US against Military Intervention in Libya

TEHRAN (FNA)- Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi warned the US officials of the fatal consequences and aftermaths of Washington's military intervention in Libya.

"Any kind of US measure and interference in Libya will not only stabilize Islamic Revolutions in the region and further clarify their path and direction, but also cause a severe blow to the US economy and increase their (Americans') debts and budget deficit," Firouzabadi cautioned in his remarks on Saturday.

He dismissed the Washington and Pentagon officials' explicit hints about an imminent US military intervention in Libya, and said, "The Libyan people have risen and shown that they can liberate their country and they are much different from the Iraqi and the Afghan people."

The top military official noted that the capitalist system is seeking to develop its strategies in the wealthy and Muslim states which possess abundant oil wells and resources, and mentioned, "The reality is that the US wants to stage a military intervention to find control over Libya's oil wells as it did in Iraq with the Iraqi oil."

The US has said it is closely monitoring the situation in Libya and is in constant touch with its allies like NATO on possible actions against the Gaddafi regime, as it dispatched two military aircrafts to the region.

The Pentagon, which has dispatched considerable air and naval assets to the region along with 400 marines, said it is closely monitoring the situation in Libya.

He said the Pentagon is in constant contact with its other allies, including NATO and Europe.

"We are still with options on the table. The overall operation is called Operation Odyssey Dawn," Lapan said.