Moncef Marzouki: “I Refused The Landing Of U.S. Marines In Tunisia”

Former Tunisian President, Moncef Marzouki, revealed that he rejected a request from the Defense Minister to allow the US Marines to land in Tunisia, following the massive demonstrations that targeted the US Embassy in Tunisia on September,14, 2012.

He reveals on Al-Jazeera television program on Monday for the first time that the chaos that occurred in the US Embassy in Tunisia, following Friday prayers on September 14, 2012, prompted the American authorities, especially Hillary Clinton, to contact him more than once.

Marzouki said his defense minister at the time, Abdul Karim al-Zubaidi, gave him a report on the basis of the approval of the ground landing of US marines in Tunisian territory, and asked the authorities in Washington.

The chief defense official at the time cautioned against the deterioration of the situation, especially after the events that targeted the US embassy proving the weakness of the security coverage of the various Tunisian forces, but Merzouki categorically rejected this.

The statement that was revealed by the former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki for the first time, proves that the Algerian fears of the presence of a US or French military presence in the Easter neighbor, was in place, and what the former Tunisian defense minister did was not a personal initiative, as much as was directed by the parties that wanted no good for Algeria or for Tunisia.