Jordan rejects Assad’s claim on Kingdom’s ‘military stance’

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani on Friday rejected remarks attributed to Syrian President Bashar Assad in an interview with the Russian news website Sputnik.

During the interview, Assad claimed that Jordan backs a military solution in Syria, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Momani, who is also the government’s spokesperson, told Petra that the claims were “baseless” and came from a president who comments on Jordan’s political stance while “he does not control most of his own country”.

The remarks indicate Assad’s “wrong and dangerous” perception of the crisis, Momani said, asking how Jordan, which was the first country to call for a political solution, would now call for a military one.

The Syrian president knows that Jordan plays a balanced role in the region, Momani said, saying that the Kingdom has gained the world’s respect for its work to resolve the Syrian issue and end the bloodshed.

He stressed that Jordan stands for a political solution, the unity of the Syrian lands, and the elimination of terrorism. 

Momani noted that the Kingdom’s stance is highly respected by the Syrian people as it is based on helping Syria and its people. He also noted the burdens that Jordan has to shoulder due to the crisis, including militarily,  economically and security-wise.