Stein says she has never supported Syria's Assad

Stein says she has never supported Syria's Assad

Jill Stein, the Green Party's 2016 presidential nominee, said in a statement on Monday that she has never supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Stein's statement came in response to a question from a reporter about her past comments on Syria.

In 2015, Stein said in an interview that she believed Assad was "a secular leader who has protected minorities in Syria." She also said that she opposed U.S. military intervention in Syria.

Stein's comments drew criticism from some, who accused her of being an apologist for Assad. Stein has since said that she believes Assad is a "brutal dictator" and that she supports the Syrian people's right to self-determination.