VZCZCXYZ0021
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0702/01 2661549
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231549Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6801
INFO RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0071
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0064

UNCLAS TUNIS 000702 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR H AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL PTER MASS TS
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF CODEL LYNCH TO TUNISIA 
 
REF: STATE 97918 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
 
------- 
Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) Congressman Lynch, the U.S. Embassy in Tunis warmly 
welcomes you and your delegation's visit to Tunisia September 
27-28, 2009.  Tunisia is a stable and moderate country with a 
record of economic and social progress.  The Tunisian 
government delivers relatively high quality education, 
healthcare, housing, infrastructure, and security to its 
population.  Tunisia has a diversified economy and enjoys one 
of the highest standards of living on the continent.  Tunisia 
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 Tunisia's human rights practices 
are a source of concern.  Regional and domestic extremists 
are active in the area.  In your meeting with Minister of 
Defense Kamel Morjane (requested but not confirmed), he will 
likely emphasize a long history of U.S.-Tunisia cooperation 
on security and regional stability.  Logistical information 
for your visit is provided in paragraphs 14-18.  End summary. 
 
---------------------- 
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 $6 
billion in assistance over the years.  Tunisia has had 
several high level visits recently:  Congressman Gregory 
Meeks and a delegation visited here in August, Congressman 
Adam Schiff visited in July, and Special Envoy George 
Mitchell visited in April. 
 
¶3. (SBU) USG assistance to Tunisia consists primarily of 
military assistance (see paragraph 8) and starting in FY 2008 
and 2009, about $2 million in economic support funds (ESF). 
The Embassy is developing projects to use ESF primarily in 
the areas of rule of law, good governance, civic 
participation, and economic growth.  In the wake of President 
Obama's Cairo speech, which was well received in Tunisia, the 
Embassy is pursuing opportunities to deepen our cooperation 
with the Tunisian government and Tunisian institutions.  One 
area where the Tunisians have expressed interest in stepping 
up collaboration is science and technology. 
 
------------------ 
Political Overview 
----------------- 
 
¶4. (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 Government of Tunisia has many of the institutions of 
democracy, it is not a democracy.   The RCD maintains an 
effective lock on three-quarters of the seats in parliament 
and is also omnipresent in positions of authority at the 
provincial and local levels.   Political liberties are 
tightly restricted and civil society activities are closely 
monitored and limited. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Government officials say they intend to pursue 
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 U.S. government 
in recent years.  Although President Ben Ali has introduced 
some reforms in the past two years (e.g., pardoning some 
political prisoners), civil society and human rights groups 
continue to report many instances of government harassment, 
intimidation, and limits on their activities.  Local media 
often lacks meaningful coverage of domestic political issues. 
  In the 2008 Reporters without Borders index, Tunisia was 
ranked 143 out of 173 countries. 
 
¶6. (SBU) President Ben Ali is seeking a fifth five-year term 
in elections that will be held on October 25.  Although three 
candidates are nominally running against him, the race is not 
structured to be competitive.  Ben Ali took, according to 
official results, 94 percent of the vote in 2004. 
 
---------------------- 
Security and Terrorism 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Ben Ali and other Tunisian leaders often contrast 
their successes in keeping Tunisia stable with problems 
elsewhere in the region.  While Tunisians grumble privately 
about corruption and restricted liberties, there is abiding 
appreciation for Ben Ali's success in steering the country 
clear of the instability and violence that have plagued 
Tunisia's neighbors.  However, the threat of terrorism 
exists, particularly in light of the 2007 establishment of 
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).  In February 2008, 
AQIM kidnapped two Austrian tourists travelling in the desert 
along the Tunisian-Algerian border and only released them in 
October.  Tunisian security forces dismantled a terror cell 
in December 2006-January 2007.  The U.S. Embassy and U.S. 
personnel in Tunis were reportedly among the group's intended 
targets.  In 2002, a faction of Al-Qaida 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-Qaida related terrorist attack 
after September 11, 2001. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Government of Tunisia (GOT) 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-to-military relationship with 
the United States.  In FY 2008, our military assistance was 
the highest it has been in recent years, at approximately $25 
million.  Our aid included $8.35 million in Foreign Military 
Financing (FMF), $9.98 million in Section 1206 funding for 
counter terrorism equipment, $4.1 million in assistance under 
peacekeeping operations, and $1.7 million in International 
Military Education (IMET).  FMF funding for FY 2009 is set at 
$12 million.  The Tunisian military tends to view FMF levels 
as a gauge of the health of our bilateral relations. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Helpfully, Tunisia is an active participant in 
United Nations peacekeeping missions, including in the 
Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.  The GOT 
takes part in NATO seminars and activities, and we have 
planned several annual military exercises with Tunisia. 
 
--------------- 
Regional Issues 
--------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Tunisia has been supportive of U.S. efforts on 
Israeli-Palestinian peace, is like-minded on Iran, and has an 
Embassy in Baghdad.   However, Tunisia rarely leads and 
usually follows the Arab League consensus on international 
and regional issues.  Given its moderate track record, we 
continue to encourage the Government of Tunisia to do more to 
promote regional peace and security.  Political and economic 
integration with Tunisia's Maghreb neighbors has been 
elusive, although Tunisia's relations with Libya and Algeria 
are stable. 
 
---------------------- 
Socio-Economic Context 
---------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Tunisia styles itself as "a country that works." 
Despite Tunisia's relatively small economy and lack of 
natural resources, the Tunisian government provides 
relatively high quality education, health care, housing, 
infrastructure, and security to its population.   Tunisian 
women enjoy more rights and opportunities than in any other 
Arab country.  The 1956 Personal Status Code abolished 
polygamy and required consent for marriage, among other 
protections.  Women today play an important role in the 
public and private sectors.  The GOT has also put a strong 
emphasis on the importance of education, and the literacy 
rate is comparatively high at 74 percent. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Since independence, there has also been real 
economic progress.  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 the long-standing government 
policies to diversify the economy by developing manufacturing 
industries for export.  The United States is Tunisia's eighth 
largest import supplier. 
 
¶13. (SBU) The Government of Tunisia also seeks to attract 
foreign direct investment and strengthen its agriculture 
sector.  Thanks to these policies, Tunisia's economy has 
maintained average annual GDP growth rates of five percent 
over the past decade.  Due to the recent international 
economic crisis, however, growth has been revised downward to 
less than three percent for 2009.   At the same time, social 
programs have limited population growth.  GDP per capita in 
2008 was approximately $4,022 (GDP per capita using 
purchasing power parity was $8,020).  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 in March 
2008, but there has been little follow up by the Tunisians. 
 
--------- 
Logistics 
--------- 
 
¶14. (U) Political/Economic Counselor Ian McCary will be the 
control officer for your visit.  Contact information for Mr. 
McCary follows:  telephone 216-71-107-252 (office), 
216-20-270-700 (mobile), 216-71-107-000 (Embassy 
switchboard), 216-71-107-212 (24 hour Embassy Marine Post 1); 
fax 216-71-107-212; email: mccaryij@state.gov (official), 
ianmccary@mac.com (private). 
 
¶15. (U) Control Officer will meet and assist the delegation 
at the airport with Embassy vehicles and expediter. 
 
¶16. (U) Reservations have been made for Congressman Lynch and 
delegation at the Ramada Hotel, Gammarth (Tunis), within per 
diem.  The Ramada Hotel telephone number is 216-71-911-100; 
fax 216-71-910-041. 
 
¶17. (U) Currency exchange:  The Embassy will provide 
travelers with per diem in local currency upon arrival and 
reverse currency exchange prior to departure.  The current 
approximate exchange rate is 1.28 Tunisian Dinars to the U.S. 
 
dollar. 
 
¶18. (U) Security/Crime Information:  Tunisia is a moderate 
Arab country that has traditionally enjoyed peace and 
stability.  However, in light of the September 11, 2001 
attacks and ongoing violence in the region, the American 
Embassy reminds visitors to maintain a high level of 
vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their 
security awareness.  While the Government of Tunisia has and 
will continue to make efforts to protect foreigners, visitors 
should avoid large crowds and crowded public areas.  Tunisian 
security forces are omnipresent and generally ensure public 
order.  Low level, non-violent property crimes are relatively 
common.  Pickpockets and purse snatchers are common in areas 
with high volume tourist traffic such as the Tunis Medina 
(old city) and central market.  It is prudent to exercise 
normal travel security precautions and maintain a low profile 
as one would in any major U.S. city. 
GRAY