We only want good things for Saudi Arabia – Ghannouchi

London, Asharq Al-Awsat – Tunisian al-Nahda party leader Rashid Ghannouchi yesterday strongly denied the comments attributed to him by the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy and which were later published in the press to strong criticism and condemnation.  The Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy, following an hour long meeting with the Tunisian political leader, claimed that he had said that he believes that 2012 would be the end of Arab monarchies, and that revolutions and uprisings would break out in a number of Arab Kingdoms.  In addition to this, there were also claims that Ghannouchi had said that the Tunisian constitution would include a clause prohibiting normalization of relations with Israel.

Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat during a telephone interview, the Tunisia political leader stressed “I completely deny these comments.”  He added “these comments are fabricated and aim to harm our relations with the US, and Western and Arab states, particularly the Gulf States.

As for Tunisia’s post-revolutionary relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ghannouchi told Asharq Al-Awsat that “we want only good things for the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia], and our policy is one of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states.”

Ghannouchi accused Zionist parties at the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy of “fabricating” these comments, adding “I attended a seminar and we agreed that [my comments] would not be for publication.  When they published them we complained about this issue and they apologized, but then they distorted the content [of my words], and that is in order to harm our international relations.”

As for what he will do now, Ghannouchi said “we will consult with lawyers on this issue and we are accustomed to taking newspapers that libel us and attribute statements to us which we did not say to court” adding “dozens [of newspapers] have been found guilty and forced to pay compensation.”

As for the criticism that he was subject to as a result of this misquote, Ghannouchi said “it was incumbent upon these journalists [who criticized him] to verify what they published, and not take quotes from known Zionist sources…especially if this harms Arab and Islamic relations” adding “Zionism is not happy to see Islam having good relations [with others].”

He also stressed that Tunisia is keen to establish good relations with all Arab states, “including our neighboring Maghreb states, as well as the Gulf States, that is why…we consider [this misquote] to be malicious and aimed at causing a rift between brothers.”

Ghannouchi also stressed that what was published by the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy “raised questions about our relations with the US, portraying us as if  we are against it [the US] and incite against it.”

He said “these statements claimed that we included an article preventing normalization of relations with the Zionist state, however the Tunisian constitution has not been enacted yet, and the articles of the constitution do not talk about inter-state relations…such an article has no place in the constitution which will not enter into discussions on international relations.”

In his statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ghannouchi added that “such statements have claimed at one time that we are with normalization [of relations with Israel], and then at another time that we are against this, and these are all fabrications to slander us.”

As for those who want to know what he really said during this seminar, Ghannouchi said that the original text of his statements to the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy would be published on his Facebook page.