SCENSETTER FOR VISIT OF SPECIAL ENVOY MITCHELL TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TUNIS 000226 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/E MITCHELL, NEA/FO, NEA/IPA, AND NEA/MAG STATE ALSO FOR NEA/SCA/EX AND A/OPR/OS - CAMERON E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019 TAGS: OVIP PREL KPAL ASCH OFDP TS SUBJECT: SCENSETTER FOR VISIT OF SPECIAL ENVOY MITCHELL TO TUNISIA Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Senator Mitchell, my team and I look forward to working with you during your visit to Tunis. President Ben Ali and Foreign Minister Abdallah are pleased that you have included Tunisia on your itinerary and look forward to hearing first-hand your assessment of prospects for Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace. While Tunisia is solidly in the moderate camp on these issues, its influence is relatively small within the Arab League. Regardless, the mere fact of your visit for consultations will give the GOT a boost. Meanwhile, from the Embassy's perspective, your visit also represents an opportunity to press President Ben Ali to stand down on the 9.1 million Tunisian Dinar (approximately US $ 6.6 million) tax assessment levied against the American Cooperative School in Tunis. We recommend you stress the value of our long-standing and positive ties, as demonstrated by your consultations with them. The GOT leadership needs to understand, however, that failure to resolve the ACST issue will have serious consequences for bilateral relations. End Summary. -------------- Background -------------- ¶3. (C) Tunisia styles itself "a country that works". Ben Ali and other Tunisian leaders often contrast their successes with the problems elsewhere in the region. There is much in what they say. While Tunisians grumble privately about corruption by the First Lady's family, there is an abiding appreciation for Ben Ali's success in steering his country clear of the instability and violence that have plagued Tunisia's neighbors. Recent events have underscored this accomplishment and the continuing threat: Tunisian security forces took down a terror cell in December 2006-January 2007; we were reportedly among the group's targets. In February 2008, al-Qaeda in the lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) kidnapped two Austrian tourists who were in the desert along the Tunisian-Algerian border. ¶4. (C) Tunisians also widely recognize, and welcome, the country's social successes. Tunisia is a model for the region on women's rights; its 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. ¶5. (C) There is also real economic progress. GDP growth has averaged five percent over the past decade, and the Tunisian people enjoy a relatively high standard of living. About 80 percent of Tunisians are considered middle class, and live in family-owned homes. Notwithstanding the progress, unemployment remains very high, officially estimated at 14 percent. But it is generally acknowledged to be higher in certain regions and much higher in the 20-30 age bracket, particularly among university graduates. The average Tunisian's purchasing power is under pressure due to world commodity price increases. These strains have manifested themselves most acutely through protests and arrests in the southern mining basin of Gafsa province. The GOT responded with a very heavy show of force and long jail sentences for some demonstration leaders. ¶6. (C) In the political arena, however, progress is barely perceptible. Ben Ali is running for a fifth five-year term in Tunisia's next elections, most likely in October, 2009. There is no chance the elections will be free or fair. Freedom of expression and freedom of association are severely constrained, and independent opposition parties are not allowed to operate effectively. Indeed, one authentic opposition candidate is no longer eligible to run, due to a recent constitutional amendment. -------------- Tunisia and the Region -------------- ¶7. (C) Tunisia has long played a moderating role in the region. Former President Bourguiba set this policy in motion with his 1965 speech in Jericho in which he called for a two-state compromise to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The GOT supports Mahmoud Abbas, leadership of the Palestinian Authority. Tunisia rejects the Arab League boycott of Israeli goods. Although it closed its trade mission in Tel TUNIS 00000226 002 OF 003 Aviv and that of the Israelis in Tunis in 2000, the GOT has from time to time taken part in quiet discussions with Israeli officials. Foreign Minister Abdallah represented Tunisia at the Annapolis conference and has been supportive of our efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Tunisia is also home to the irascible PLO Minister for External Relations Farrouq Qaddoumi, who stayed behind in Tunis when the rest of the PLO returned to the Palestinian Territories. Qaddoumi reportedly promised Yasser ARAFAT that he would remain in exile until the creation of a Palestinian State. ¶8. (C) Tunisia is like-minded on Iran, is an ally in the fight against terrorism, and has maintained an Embassy in Iraq at the Charge level. Moreover, Tunisia has recently signed a debt forgiveness agreement with the GOI on Paris Club terms; it is the first Arab country to do so. However, the GOT assiduously avoids getting in front of the Arab League consensus on most foreign policy issues. Moreover, when other interests are at stake, the GOT is prone to waffle. It is not clear that the GOT has a guiding principle for its foreign policy other than to "get along with everyone." To the extent that GOT leaders speak in generalities about their moderate foreign policy stance, we remind them that Tunisia's moderation does not help us, unless its views are made public and its influence is used actively in international fora. -------------- -- President Ben Ali and Foreign Minister Abdallah -------------- -- ¶9. (C) President Ben Ali will appreciate being consulted on regional issues, especially developments on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He can be expected to express concern about the right-leaning government formed by Prime Minister Netanyahu. For domestic political reasons, he will express solidarity with the Palestinian people, and he will take credit with having done so publicly. He may also underscore GOT concerns about perceived Israeli excesses, making the case that only the United States can keep the Government of Israel in check. Having recently participated in the Doha Arab League Summit, he may have insights of his own to share with you about inter-Arab dynamics. If Ben Ali is "on his game," he will be affable, open and engaged. Ben Ali, who is 72 years old, reportedly has health problems and they may affect the quality and tenor of the meeting. ¶10. (C) Foreign Minister Abdelwaheb Abdallah will also play an important part in your visit. Abdallah can be charming in meetings, but he rarely departs from standard GOT talking points. He has been known to open his meetings with lengthy soliloquies about Tunisia's political, social, and economic successes and moderate positions on regional issues. This is the spin that Abdallah himself crafted during his years as Presidential Advisor responsible for domestic media control and international media spin. During his almost four-year tenure as Foreign Minister, Abdallah has maintained significant influence -- if not control -- over the local media. -------------- The American Cooperative School in Tunis -------------- ¶11. (C) The Tunisian Ministry of Finance has issued a tax decree against the American Cooperative School of Tunis (ACST) for alleged arrears in the amount of 9.1 million Tunisian Dinars (approximately US $6.6 million). The decree gives ACST until May 23 to pay the arrears, money it does not have and cannot borrow. ACST acknowledges some liability, but only for about 1 million Tunisian Dinars. The Ambassador has held several meetings with senior GOT officials and delivered a clear message that the GOT's actions may bankrupt and force the school to close, which would have serious consequences for US-Tunisian relations. He has taken exception to the GOT unilateral action in contravention of 50 years of practice and diplomatic exchanges. Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials insist the GOT's action is "technical" not political. ¶12. (C) The Foreign Ministry has accused Ambassador Godec of politicizing the issue by alerting the African Development Bank and other Ambassadors of the school's impending closure. We have defended these consultations, pointing out that it would have been negligent for the USG to fail to warn the school's constituents. An April 8 letter from Foreign Minister Abdallah to Acting A/S Feltman represents the first clear evidence that evidence the GOT is finally prepared to TUNIS 00000226 003 OF 003 negotiate with the goal of resolving this matter in a mutually agreeable fashion. Your meeting with President Ben Ali represents a critical opportunity to put this issue to him directly and to emphasize the importance of the school to us. ¶13. (C) The Ambassador has already previewed with senior GOT officials that the forced closure of the school would provoke a policy review in Washington of our overall relations and our bilateral assistance programs. The majority of our assistance is to the military and included some $24 million in FY 2008, although it is likely to be much lower this year. The Ambassador has noted that the Congress will have to be briefed and may react as well. Noting the press coverage of the closure of the American School in Damascus, he also predicted negative international media coverage. ¶14. (C) It will probably be necessary to tailor your message on the school as late as the day before your meeting ) there have been developments on the issue daily for the past couple of weeks. In general, though, it would be helpful to underscore that the MOF's unilateral assessment is contrary to 50 years of diplomatic exchanges and practices. You can express appreciation for Abdallah's offer of negotiations, but add that the MOF should first rescind the final tax decree. At the start of the new Administration, we should urge Ben Ali to focus on how to improve relations, not undermine them. -------------- Bilateral Engagement -------------- ¶15. (C) In brief, while we have enjoyed a long-standing and generally positive bilateral relationship with Tunisia, difficulties remain. In many ways, the ACST tax issue is symptomatic of the reality that the GOT is slow to engage, often unresponsive, and periodically takes counterproductive steps. Underlying some GOT actions is a distrust of our motives, and specifically with respect to the promotion of democracy and human rights. In addition, GOT leaders bristle at public criticism. For example, Abdallah convoked the Ambassador to express his "disgust" that Tunisia was condemned for its treatment of journalists in the May 1, 2008 White House statement on World Press Freedom. 16.(C) Many of the difficulties are also the result of the controls imposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These restrictions limit the Embassy's ability to engage with other ministries, and with universities, business organizations and even the country's labor union. While these controls affect all Embassies, not just ours, the effect is to limit the quality and depth of our relations. ¶17. (C) In our contacts with Tunisian officials, they emphasize our strong ties of over 200 years. But they rarely move from the general to the specific. Your visit is an opportunity to consult with the Tunisians on Middle East peace but also a chance to make clear that we expect more from countries with whom we have close relations. If there are specific steps that the GOT could take with respect to Middle East peace, you should press them. By the same token, if Tunisia is prepared to open up and do more on issues of concern to the United States, e.g., on the Israeli-Arab front, we are prepared to look for ways to deepen our relationship. Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm Godec