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| Africa: North | |
| Tunisia looks to strengthen US ties during visit to Washington | |
| 2004-02-14 | |
| Tunisia said on Friday it would host the Arab summit on March 29-30, ending confusion over the venue caused by worries about simmering Arab divisions and the cost of security arrangements. The decision, announced in a government statement, followed talks in Tunis on Thursday between President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab League. Also Friday, Ben Ali said he hopes to share more of his experience in fighting terrorism with US President George W. Bush when the two leaders meet next week in Washington. Tunisia, a moderate Muslim nation that has long-standing ties with the US, has become a key US ally in the global âwar on terror.â It also suffered an attack blamed on Al-Qaeda that killed 21 people in 2002. âIn all modesty, I have a lot of experience with this,â Ben Ali told The Associated Press in an interview at the presidential palace in Carthage. He also responded in writing to written questions. âI gave the first-ever report on the dangers of fundamentalism to the Tunisian government. I have been following this ever since then,â he said during the interview. Tunisia is one of the most liberal countries in the Muslim world and the one most often associated with womenâs rights. Rates of illiteracy and poverty are among the lowest in the region. But the nation is routinely criticized by human rights groups for its lack of freedom of expression and stern handling of political opponents. Ben Ali responded to this criticism by saying he is ushering in democratic reforms  but in a measured way so that extremists cannot take advantage of new freedoms.
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| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #7 Tunisia is an Arabic-speaking country. Of course ethnically it is not The guy who accepted Arafat was Bourguiba who was deposed through a soft coup (what the French call "a palace revolution") by Ben Ali. Tunisian women have the loftier status of any Muslim country I am aware of, headscarves are banned (showing the way to France :-). Turbans are kept under watch and promptly jailed when they cross the line. Pilgrimages to Mecca are strongly discouraged, officially due to the currency drain. In the same way, having five prayers a day can quicly get you in trouble due to the loss of productivity. Tunisia has a thriving textile industry who works mainly as subcontractors for the Parisian textile companies of the Sentier. Meaning that Tunisia's textile industry works mainly with/for the Jews. But don't say it to the Saudis or they will have a heart attack. |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-2-15 11:24:21 AM |
| #6 In all seriousness, there ought to be ways to reward Tunisia in terms of trade and economics, while gently nudging them along the path of democracy American style (as opposed to Euro style). This should be done with a light touch so as to make it look to be the most natural order of things. Perhaps that could help them explain cause-and-effect to their brother Arabs. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-2-14 11:26:00 PM |
| #5 My beloved guide, Mr. Bush, told me I was African, which I am. |
| Posted by: Muammar 2004-2-14 10:59:28 PM |
| #4 It's in the northern shores of Africa. What else would it be? So is Libya, which Qadaffi says is "African"... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-2-14 10:55:57 PM |
| #3 Didn't realize Tunisia was an arab country. It's in the northern shores of Africa. What else would it be? |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-2-14 8:59:26 PM |
| #2 "Tunisia isn't overflowing with beturbanned lunatics..." Perhaps not beturbanned, but Arafish and thousands of his thugs lived in "exile" in Tunisia from 1982 - 1993... not exactly a ringing endorsement... I think I'll pass on visiting, thanks. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-14 6:40:18 PM |
| #1 Didn't realize Tunisia was an arab country. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-2-14 5:56:43 PM |