VZCZCXYZ0012
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #1178/01 3291642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241642Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5764
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 7704

UNCLAS TUNIS 001178 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR H - PLEASE PASS CODEL MEEK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL ECON PTER TS
SUBJECT: SCEENSETTER FOR CODEL MEEK 
 
 ------- 
Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Embassy Tunis warmly welcomes Congressman Meek and 
accompanying delegation to Tunis December 5 - 7, 2008.  In a 
difficult region, Tunisia is stable and moderate, with a 
record of economic and social progress.  The Tunisian 
government delivers education, health care, housing, 
infrastructure and security to its population.  Tunisia has a 
diversified economy and enjoys one of the highest standards 
of living on the continent.  It is a model for the region on 
women's rights.  Politically, however, the country is 
dominated by a single party, the Democratic Constitutional 
Rally (RCD).  Political freedoms are tightly controlled and 
human rights are a concern.  Terrorism poses a threat to the 
country.  Tunisian government officials may wish to discuss 
the latest political, economic and security issues in the 
US-Tunisian bilateral relationship, as well as regional 
questions.  In this cable, Embassy Tunis provides background 
information for your visit.  End Summary. 
 
-------------------------- 
The Bilateral Relationship 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Your visit takes place in the context of 
long-standing and generally positive bilateral relations. 
The United States was the first Western power to recognize an 
independent Tunisia in 1956 and we have provided over US $6 
billion in assistance over the years.  Tunisia has had 
several high-level US visits recently:  Secretary Rice 
visited September 6; Congressional visits include CODELs 
McCullom, Boehner and Cramer in 2008; and CODELs Tanner, 
Costello, Jackson-Lee, and Inouye in 2007.  AUSTR Shaun 
Donnelly, the State Department,s Coordinator for 
Counterterrorism Dell Dailey, NEA Assistant Secretary C. 
David Welch, and AFRICOM Commander General William Ward also 
visited Tunisia in 2008. 
 
---------------------- 
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 provides education, health care, housing, 
infrastructure and security to its population.  Tunisian 
women enjoy more rights and opportunities than in any other 
Arab country.  The GOT has also put a strong emphasis on the 
importance of education, and the literacy rate is 
comparatively high at 74 percent. 
 
¶4. (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 large reserves of 
hydrocarbons like its neighbors Algeria and Libya, but has 
prospered under long-standing government policies to 
diversify its economy by developing manufacturing industries 
for export and promoting tourism.  The Government of Tunisia 
also seeks to attract foreign direct investment and 
strengthen its agricultural sector.  Thanks to these 
policies, Tunisia's economy has maintained average annual GDP 
growth rates of five percent over the past decade.  At the 
same time, social programs have limited population growth. 
GDP per capita in 2007 was approximately US $3,251 (GDP per 
capita using purchasing power parity was US $7,427).  The 
United States and Tunisia signed a Trade and Investment 
Framework Agreement (TIFA) in 2002 to strengthen bilateral 
economic engagement.  The third TIFA Council meeting took 
place in Tunis on March 10-11, 2008. 
 
------------------ 
Political Overview 
------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) Tunisia is a constitutional republic with a 
population of just over 10 million.  Politics are dominated 
by a single political party, the Democratic Constitutional 
Rally (RCD).  Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been President 
since 1987, when he replaced President Bourguiba.  Although 
the GOT has many of the institutions of democracy, it is not 
a democracy.  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 inflated.  In August 2008, Ben Ali declared his 
candidacy for a fifth term in office.  National elections - 
both presidential and legislative - will be held in 2009. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) 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 members do 
not introduce bills and legislation presented by the 
Executive Branch passes with only minor changes. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Political liberties remain tightly controlled and 
civil society development is restricted.  Government 
officials say they intend to continue political 
liberalization, but at a pace appropriate to Tunisia's level 
of development.  They underscore their belief that Islamists 
pose a serious threat to the country's record of secular and 
moderate policies.  Tunisia's slow progress on political 
reform has been a concern for the US Government in recent 
years.  Although President Ben Ali has introduced some 
reforms in the past two years (pardoning some political 
prisoners and lifting a form of censorship for print media), 
civil society and human rights groups 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 
meaningful coverage of domestic political issues.  In the 
2007 Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index, 
Tunisia was ranked 145 out of 169 countries. 
 
------------------ 
Security Situation 
------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) There is a threat of terrorism in Tunisia, 
particularly in light of the establishment of al-Qaeda in the 
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).  AQIM abducted two Austrian tourists 
in Tunisia on February 22 and released them in October.  In 
January 2007, Tunisian security forces disrupted a terrorist 
group active in December 2006/January 2007, killing or 
capturing many individuals who reportedly planned to carry 
out acts of violence in Tunisia.  The US Embassy and 
personnel in Tunis were 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.  This attack, in which 20 victims 
were killed, was the first al-Qaeda related terrorist attack 
after September 11, 2001. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Government of Tunisia remains concerned about 
signs of increasing Islamic extremism and national security 
is a major priority.  It places a high value on its historic 
and robust military-military relationship with the United 
States.  In FY 2008, our military assistance was the highest 
it has been in recent years, at approximately US $25 million. 
 Our aid included US $8,345,000 in Foreign Military Financing 
(FMF), US $9.98 million in Section 1206 funding for 
counter-terrorism equipment, US $4.1 million in assistance 
under peacekeeping operations authority, and US $1.7 million 
for International Military Education.  The Tunisian military 
is particularly concerned about its FMF levels, in part 
because this is the most flexible form on assistance.  It 
uses the FMF largely to maintain its aging fleets of 
US-origin equipment. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Helpfully, Tunisia is an active participant in 
United Nations peacekeeping missions, including in the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC), Ethiopia and 
Eritrea.  The GOT takes part in NATO seminars and activities, 
and we have several joint military exercises annually.  The 
GOT reciprocated the US Government's past generosity with a 
symbolic gesture of two C-130 loads -- some 20 tons -- of 
humanitarian assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. 
 
--------------- 
Regional Issues 
--------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Tunisia has been supportive of US efforts on 
Israeli-Palestinian peace, is like-minded on Iran, and has an 
Embassy in Baghdad.  But it rarely leads and usually follows 
the Arab League consensus on international and regional 
issues.  Given its moderate track record, we encourage the 
Government of Tunisia to do more to promote regional peace 
and security. 
Godec