Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TUNIS648
2007-05-24 12:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tunis
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF CODEL TANNER

Tags:  OREP PGOV PREL ECON PTER TS 
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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


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