VZCZCXYZ0013
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0648/01 1441252
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241252Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3204
INFO RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0132

UNCLAS TUNIS 000648 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG (MHARRIS AND EHOPKINS) 
STATE ALSO FOR H - PLEASE PASS CODEL TANNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL ECON PTER TS
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF CODEL TANNER 
 
 
¶1. (U) Embassy Tunis warmly welcomes Representative John 
Tanner and accompanying members of CODEL Tanner to Tunis from 
May 30 - June 1, 2007.  Tunisian government officials may 
wish to discuss the latest political, economic and security 
issues relevant to the US-Tunisian bilateral relationship, as 
well as regional issues.  This cable provides some background 
information on these themes. 
 
-------------------------- 
The Bilateral Relationship 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Your visit takes place in the context of a 
long-standing and positive bilateral relationship; the United 
States was the first Western power to recognize an 
independent Tunisia in 1956.  Recent high-level visits 
include the February 2006 visit by former Secretary of 
Defense Rumsfeld and a May 2006 visit by then-Deputy 
Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.  More recently, the Vice 
 
SIPDIS 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Edmund 
Giambastiani visited and Tunisia hosted the 22nd US-Tunisia 
Joint Military Commission (JMC) meetings, both in May 2007. 
 
---------------------- 
Socio-Economic Context 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Tunisia proudly -- and justifiably -- calls itself a 
"country that works."  Despite Tunisia's relatively small 
economy and lack of natural resources, the Tunisian 
government has proven itself capable of providing basic 
education, health care, housing and a workable infrastructure 
to its population.  Tunisian woman enjoy more rights and 
opportunities than in any other Muslim country.  As a result 
of these policies, the majority of Tunisians are generally 
moderate and desire a government intent on modernizing the 
country and integrating it fully into the world economy. 
 
¶4. (U) Tunisia has the most diversified economy in the region 
and enjoys one of the highest standards of living on the 
entire continent.  The country does not have vast reserves of 
hydrocarbons like its neighbors Algeria and Libya but has 
prospered under long-standing government policies to develop 
manufacturing industries for export and to promote tourism. 
The Government of Tunisia (GOT) also seeks to attract foreign 
direct investment and strengthen its traditional agricultural 
sector.  Thanks to these policies, Tunisia's economy has 
maintained average annual growth rates of almost five percent 
over the past ten years.  At the same time, social programs 
limit population growth, provide a high standard of 
education, and ensure a relatively decent standard of living 
for all.  The average annual income is approximately US 
$3000.  The United States hopes Tunisia will be part of 
President Bush's vision of a Middle East Free Trade Area, but 
even the preliminary Trade and Investment Framework Agreement 
(TIFA) has not produced tangible results, in part due to 
Tunisian concerns about rapid economic liberalization. 
 
------------------ 
Political Overview 
------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) Tunisia is a constitutional republic with a 
population of approximately 10 million, dominated by a single 
political party, the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD). 
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been the president since 1987. 
Although three opposition parties contested the October 2004 
presidential election, official results indicated that 
President Ben Ali won approximately 94 percent of the 
registered popular vote.  The official turnout was reportedly 
higher than 90 percent of registered voters, although there 
were indications that voter turnout figures were artificially 
inflated.  Tunisia has a bicameral legislature.  In addition 
to the Chamber of Deputies, a second legislative body, the 
Chamber of Advisors, was created in a 2002 referendum 
amending the Constitution.  The legislature plays a limited 
role as an arena for debate on national policy but never 
originates legislation and virtually always passes bills 
presented by the Executive with only minor changes.  National 
elections - both presidential and legislative - will be next 
held in 2009. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Political liberties remain tightly controlled and 
civil society development is stifled.  Tunisia's sluggishness 
on political reform has been a point of contention in the 
US-Tunisian relationship in recent years.  Although President 
Ben Ali has introduced some positive political reform steps 
in the past two years (pardoning some political prisoners, 
lifting a form of censorship for print media, registering a 
new political party and independent media outlets), civil 
society and human rights groups remain deeply cynical and 
continue to report many instances of government harassment, 
intimidation, and limits on their activities.  Journalists 
reject the suggestion that press censorship has ended and 
local media usually lacks any meaningful coverage of domestic 
political issues.  In the 2006 Reporters Without Borders 
Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Tunisia was ranked 148 out of 
¶168. 
 
------------------ 
Security Situation 
------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) There is a threat of terrorism in Tunisia, 
particularly in light of the recent establishment of al-Qaeda 
in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).  In January 2007, the 
Government of Tunisia announced that Tunisian security forces 
disrupted a terrorist group in December 2006/January 2007, 
killing or capturing many individuals who reportedly planned 
to carry out acts of violence in Tunisia.  The US Embassy in 
Tunis was reportedly among the group's intended targets.  In 
2002, a faction of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for an 
attack on the Ghriba synagogue on the southern island of 
Djerba, the first al-Qaeda related terrorist attack after 
September 11. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Government of Tunisia remains concerned about 
signs of increasing Islamic extremism and considers external 
security as one of its major priorities.  Therefore, it 
places a high value on its historic and robust 
military-military relationship with the United States. 
Unfortunately, and against the backdrop of a very limited 
national budget, new equipment is needed to match the 
evolving and common threat of transnational terrorism.  At 
present, Tunisia receives approximately US $8 million in 
Foreign Military Financing (FMF), nearly all of which is used 
for the partial maintenance of its aging fleets of US-origin 
equipment.  FMF is expected to drop dramatically in FY-08 to 
approximately US $2 million, which will make any significant 
recapitalization of the Tunisian Armed Forces problematic, 
unless additional third country financing is secured. 
 
¶9. (SBU) That said, Tunisia has been and remains an active 
participant in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions, 
including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), 
Ethiopia and Eritrea.  The GOT is supportive of several 
military issues of mutual interest, takes part in NATO 
seminars and activities, and is extremely appreciative of US 
assistance (which includes IMET, USEUCOM Humanitarian 
Assistance, counterterrorism related seminars, and other 
activities).  In fact, the GOT reciprocated the USG's past 
generosity with a symbolic gesture of two C-130 loads of 
humanitarian assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. 
The Tunisian Red Crescent's gifts included blankets, tents, 
diapers, detergent, blankets, and water; in total, some 20 
tons of supplies. 
GODEC