Ghannouchi did not say he has no objection to Bashar Al-Assad, aide insists

The political advisor of the Head of Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement has denied claims that Rashid Al-Ghannouchi has no objection to Bashar Al-Assad, Quds Press reported on Tuesday.

“Sheikh Al-Ghannouchi is always calling for reconciliation among the Arabs,” explained Lutfi Zaytoun, “and was always against turning the Syrian uprising from popular to armed revolution and then to a civil war.”

He pointed out that the veteran Ennahda leader supports whatever is agreed by all of the sides in Syria and accepted by the nation. “He also calls for the whole world to support the Syrian people, who are suffering in this crisis.”

Tunisia’s Al-Shorooq newspaper reported on Tuesday that Ghannouchi had called for Arabic reconciliation, saying that he does not object to the Syrian president. Zaytoun told Quds Press, however, that the quotes cited “are completely false.”