Washington / Morocco Board News    A recent cable from the US embassy in Tunis released by wikileaks describes Tunisia's President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's family entourage as a "quasi Mafia" because of its "organized corruption". The cable, dated June 2008, under the title "What's yours is mine," the embassy cites more than a dozen examples of abuse by the family of Tunisia's President.
For example, the president's wife is given land free by the state, the land gets developed free of charge, a school gets built on it and sold by the president's wife.

A son in law of the president buys 17% of a bank "banquet du Sud" prior to its privatization and sells his share later pocketing a generous profit.
Another son in law expropriates land from the state and building a mansion, officially for the benefit of a state water company.

In the summer of 2009, another memo, while welcoming the robust economic growth (5% on average) and the advanced status of women, the cable adds "Tunisia is a police state, with little freedom of expression or association, and serious human rights problems.... President Ben Ali is getting older, his regime is sclerotic, and there is no successor" and that "many Tunisians are frustrated by the lack of political freedom and are angry at the corruption by the First family, the high unemployment and the regional economic disparities. extremism remains a threat. Faced with these problems, the Government does not accept criticism or advice, whether from within or from outside. Conversely, it only seeks to impose stricter controls, often relying on the police.
The result: Tunisia is troubled and our relations are too."

Even the U.S. embassy in Tunisia, is finding it difficult to work in Tunisia. The " Minister of Foreign Affairs", is forcing the embassy to have written permission before any contact with all official and semi-official Tunisian organizations. A meeting request should be accompanied by a diplomatic note and "Many request bu the US Embassy remain unanswered," the cable adds.
It also notes that Guests from Tunisian ONGs that are invited to the US embassy functions are intimidated by Tunisian police posted outside the Embassy

The United States, the cable adds, should ask the European countries to intensify their efforts "to persuade the Tunisian government to accelerate political reform."
Germany and Britain are committed to this idea, but "key countries like France and Italy are reluctant to put pressure" on Tunisia.


^{_{Cable Posted at Guardian}}



 

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