VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #1496/01 3250625
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210625Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4115

UNCLAS TUNIS 001496 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS AND HOPKINS) 
STATE ALSO FOR H - PLEASE PASS CODEL INOUYE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL ECON PTER TS
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF CODEL INOUYE 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) Embassy Tunis warmly welcomes Senators Daniel Inouye 
and Theodore Stevens and accompanying members of CODEL Inouye 
to Tunis from November 25 - 26, 2007.  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.  Tunisia has the 
most diversified economy in the region and enjoys one of the 
highest standards of living on the continent.  The political 
system is dominated by a single party, the Democratic 
Constitutional Rally (RCD), and political liberties are 
tightly controlled.  This cable provides background 
information on these themes.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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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.  The Embassy has requested 
meetings with President Ben Ali and Minister of National 
Defense Kamel Morjane.  The Minister may want to discuss 
opportunities for expanding US financial support for the 
Tunisian military (see also para 9).  The Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs has suggested a meeting with Secretary of State Saida 
Chtioui, who is likely to give an overview of Tunisia's views 
on key security, political, economic and social issues. 
 
¶3. (SBU) 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 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.  The Government of Tunisia warmly welcomed 
CODELs Tanner, Cramer and Jackson-Lee in mid-2007. 
 
---------------------- 
Socio-Economic Context 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (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 provides basic education, health care, housing and 
a workable infrastructure to its population.  Tunisian woman 
enjoy more rights and opportunities than in any other Arab 
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. 
 
¶5. (U) Tunisia has the most diversified economy in the region 
and enjoys one of the highest standards of living on the 
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 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.  Average annual per capita 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, and 
the United States and Tunisia signed a Trade and Investment 
Framework Agreement (TIFA) in 2002 to strengthen bilateral 
economic engagement. 
 
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Political Overview 
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¶6. (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, 
celebrating his 20 years in office on November 7.  Although 
three opposition parties fielded candidates in 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 
introduces 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. 
 
¶7.  (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 reforms 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 
countries. 
 
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Security Situation 
------------------ 
 
¶8. (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. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Government of Tunisia remains concerned about 
signs of increasing Islamic extremism and considers national 
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 in FY-08 to possibly as 
low as US $2 million, which will make any significant 
recapitalization of the Tunisian Armed Forces problematic, 
unless additional third-country or other financing is 
secured.  In addition to arguing for increased FMF in FY-09, 
the Mission is also pursuing possible options for 1206 
funding. 
 
¶10. (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 -- some 
20 tons -- of humanitarian assistance in the wake of 
Hurricane Katrina. 
GODEC