TOUR D'HORIZ0N WITH GOT PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TUNIS 000305

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/09
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TS
SUBJECT: TOUR D'HORIZ0N WITH GOT PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN

(U) CLASSIFIED BY ROBIN L. RAPHEL, AMBASSAD0R, REASON
1.5, B AND D



1. (C) SUMMARY. 0N JANUARY 22, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER
ABDELWAHEB ABDALLAH T0LD AMBASSAD0R RAPHEL THE GOT
H0PED TO USE PRESIDENT BEN ALI'S UPCOMING VISIT T0
WASHINGTON T0 PR0MOTE TUNISIA'S IMAGE AS A T0LERANT,
OPEN ISLAMIC C0UNTRY AND MODERATE, C0NSTRUCTIVE ACTOR
ON SUCH REGI0NAL ISSUES AS THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE
PROCESS (MEPP). AMBASSADOR POINTED 0UT THAT, IN
ADDITI0N TO THESE IMP0RTANT THEMES, HEN ALI SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON M0RE C0NTR0VERSIAL
ISSUES SUCH AS THE LONG-PENDING VISA REQUEST FOR THE
DESIGNATED NEW ISRAELI INTERESTS SECTI0N HEAD.
ABDALLAH, WHO PRAISED U.S. TRADITION OF A FREE PRESS,
REITERATED BEN ALI'S COMMITMENT T0 M0RE OPEN MEDIA,
BUT CRITICIZED RESISTANCE AM0NG S0ME G0T OFFICIALS AND
"SELF-CENS0RING" J0URNALISTS. AMBASSAD0R STRESSED
NEED FOR BEN ALI TO DISCUSS TUNISIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS
SITUATION FRANKLY AND OPENLY BEFORE U.S. AUDIENCES.
ABDALLAH T0OKQOINT, BUT ALLEGED THAT THERE WERE
"MANY EXAGGERATIONS" IN CRITICISMS BY FOREIGN NG0'S OF
G0T'S HUMAN RIGHTS REC0RD. HE CITED, AS EVIDENCE OF
BEN ALI'S COMMITMENT To DEMOCRATIZATION, MEASURES TO
ENSURE MULTIPLE CANDIDATES IN THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION AND TO RESERVE AT LEAST 20 PERCENT OF
PARLIAMENTARY Q F0R THE OPPOSITION IN THE 1999
LEGISLATIVE CONTEST. AMBASSADOR MADE A PITCH FOR
RELEASE OF IMPRISONED TUNISIAN HUMAN RIGHTS LEAGUE HEAD
KHEMAIS KSILA BEFORE THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT; ABDALLAH
INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS KSILA'S REFUSAL TO SUBMIT
THE REQUIRED STANDARD LETTER TO BEN ALI REQUESTING
CLEMENCY. IN THIS WIDE-RANGING CONVERSATION, ABDALLAH
CAME ACR0SS AS A SMOOTH, SAVVY MEMBER OF BEN ALI'S INNER
CIRCLE WHO DOUBTLESS WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN MOLDING BEN
ALI'S AGENDA FOR HIS WASHINGTON VISIT. BIO DETAILS IN
PARA 13. END SUMMARY.

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HEN ALI'S WASHINGTON VISIT
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2. (C) IN JANUARY 22 MEETING, AMBASSADOR INFORMED GOT
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR AND SPOKESMAN (MINISTERIAL RANK)
ABDELWAHEB ABDALLAH THAT THE WHITE HOUSE HAD FIXED
MARCH 23 AS THE DATE FOR PRESIDENT BEN ALI'S OFFICIAL
WORKING VISIT. ABDALLAH, WHO CONFIRMED THAT HE WOULD
BE A MEMBER OF BEN ALI'S DELEGATION, INDICATED C0NCERN
THAT THERE BE FULL MEDIA TREATMENT OF THE VISIT.
ABDALLAH SAID HE HAD MET THE PREVI0US WEEK WITH THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPRESENTATIVE IN PARIS, AND THE
LATTER HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PREPARING A PRE-VISIT
ARTICLE 0N TUNISIA. ABDALLAH INDICATED THAT HE WAS
ALSO IN TOUCH WITH OTHER U.S. PUBLICATIONS CONCERNING
POSSIBLE PIECES ON TUNISIA. IN REMINISCING ABOUT A
LUNCH WITH KATHRYN GRAHAM AND JIM HOAGLAND OF THE
WASHINGTON POST SHORTLY AFTER BEN ALI ASSUMED POWER,
HE MENTIONED POSSIBLY CONTACTING HOAGLAND AB0UT A
FEATURE STORY.

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BURNISHING TUNISIA'S IMAGE
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3. (C) AMBASSADOR RESPONDED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR
THE GOT TO BE OPEN TO COVERAGE OF THE VISIT BY ALL
MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES, NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. SHE
WENT ON TO ASK ABOUT THE GOT'S PRINCIPAL THEMES FOR
THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT. ABDALLAH RESPONDED THAT BEN
ALI HOPED T0 USE THE VISIT TO PROMOTE TUNISIA'S IMAGE
AMONG THE U.S. PUBLIC AS A TOLERANT, OPEN ISLAMIC
COUNTRY, COMMITTED TO MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT.
ABDALLAH SAID THE VISIT WOULD HOPEFULLY HIGHLIGHT
TUNISIA'S TRAILBLAZING ROLE IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD IN
TERMS OF ADVANCING THE STATUS OF WOMEN. IN THE
F0REIGN POLICY REALM, ACC0RDING T0 ABDALLAH, BEN ALI'S
U.S. SOJOURN WOULD HELP TO UNDERSCORE TUNISIA'S ROLE
AS A MODERATE, CONSTRUCTIVE ACTOR IN THE REGION ON
SUCH KEY ISSUES AS THE MEPP.


4. (C) AMBASSAD0R P0INTED OUT THAT, WHILE TUNISIA'S
PAST EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF MEPP WERE PRAISEWORTHY, BEN
ALI COULD EXPECT TO BE ASKED ABOUT UNRESOLVED
ISSUES--FOR EXAMPLE, WHY THE GOT CONTINUED TO DELAY
ISSUANCE OF A VISA TO THE DESIGNATED NEW HEAD OF THE
ISRAELI INTERESTS SECTION HERE. ABDALLAH ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT THIS WAS A "COMPLICATED" QUESTI0N WHICH BEN ALI
AND HIS TEAM W0ULD NEED TO BE READY TO ANSWER BEFORE
U.S. AUDIENCES. IN FAMILIAR GOT TERMS, HE CLAIMED
THAT THE GOT WAS CONSTRAINED IN ITS EFFORTS T0 PROMOTE
ITS ISRAELI RELATI0NSHIP BECAUSE 0F UNFAVORABLE PUBLIC
OPINION HERE AND IN THE ARAB WORLD GENERALLY. HE
C0MPLAINED THAT, AS IT WAS, SOME IN THE ARAB WORLD
BRANDED TUNISIA AS AN "UN-ISLAMIC" COUNTRY BECAUSE OF
ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL AND ITS PROGRESSIVE
SOCIAL POLICIES (E.G., OUTLAWING OF POLYGAMY).

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DIVISIVE REGIONAL ISSUES--MEPP AND IRAQ
--------------


5. (C) ELABORATING, ABDALLAH STATED THAT, WHILE
TUNISIANS BY AND LARGE SUPPORTED THE GOT'S ENLIGHTENED
S0CIAL POLICIES, THEY WERE DIVIDED OVER SUCH KEY
REGIONAL ISSUES AS THE PEACE PROCESS AND IRAQ. HE
ADMITTED THAT SOME STAUNCHLY PRO-IRAQI LOCAL J0URNALS
HAD BEC0ME LESS SUPPORTIVE OF IRAQ
LATELY--DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN THE TYRANNICAL SADDAM
AND THE SUFFERING IRAQI PEOPLE--BUT NONETHELESS
REMAINED STRONGLY ANTI-U.S. POLICY IN OUTLO0K,
REFLECTING THE VIEWS OF MANY TUNISIANS. ABDALLAH WENT
ON TO ASSERT THAT WERE IT NOT FOR THE SELF-CENSORSHIP
PRACTICED BY MANY JOURNALISTS, IN ORDER TO "AV0ID
OFFENDING PRESIDENT BEN ALI" BY ATTACKING A FRIENDLY
COUNTRY, THEY WOULD BE MUCH HARSHER IN THEIR CRITICISM
OF U.S. MIDEAST POLICY.

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U.S. VERSUS TUNISIAN PRESS
--------------


6. (C) AMBASSADOR POINTED OUT THAT CRITICISM BY A
FREE PRESS WAS INEVITABLE, NOTING THE OFTEN-SEVERE
CRITICISM OF THE USG FOUND IN OUR OWN PRESS. ABDALLAH
RESPONDED THAT THE U.S. PRESS, BECAUSE OF WHAT HE SAW
AS ITS UNIQUE HISTORICAL ORIGINS, COULD NOT BE
COMPARED WITH THAT IN TUNISIA OR ELSEWHERE. HE
OBSERVED THAT, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING DATING BACK TO
COLONIAL TIMES, THE U.S. PRESS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BY
ORDINARY CITIZENS INTENT ON USING THEIR NEWSPAPERS AS
VEHICLES FOR FREE AND OPEN EXPRESSION OF VIEWS. BY
CONTRAST, HE ASSERTED, IN OTHER COUNTRIES RULING
ELITES HAD "IMPOSED FROM ABOVE" A PRESS THAT HAS
CIRCUMSCRIBED IN ITS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. MOREOVER,
HE ADDED, THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESS IN MANY
COUNTRIES HAS NOT SO MUCH TO INFORM THE PUBLIC, AS TO
EARN A PROFIT AS A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE--AGAIN IN
CONTRAST TO THE U.S. EXPERIENCE.

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SUPPORT FOR FREER MEDIA
--------------


7. (C) ABDALLAH REPEATEDLY ASSERTED THAT THE GOT
LEADERSHIP ENCOURAGED THE MEDIA TO BE MORE OPEN, BUT,
HE INDICATED, SELF-CENSORSHIP REMAINED WIDESPREAD OUT
OF JOURNALISTS' CONCERN NOT TO ANTAGONIZE THAT
LEADERSHIP. ABDALLAH DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME
UNNAMED GOT OFFICIALS, WHILE PAYING LIP SERVICE TO THE
NEED FOR EXPANDED MEDIA FREEDOMS, NONETHELESS
PROTESTED STRENUOUSLY WHEN THEY THEMSELVES WERE
AFFECTED BY NEGATIVE TELEVISION OR PRESS COVERAGE.
(COMMENT: ABDALLAH DOUBTLESS WAS REFERRING TO
NEGATIVE REPORTING ABOUT GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, NOT
SPECIFIC OFFICIALS, AS MEDIA CRITICISM OF OFFICIALS BY
NAME OR POSITION IS NON-EXISTENT. END COMMENT.)
ACCORDING TO ABDALLAH, PRESIDENT BEN ALI HIMSELF WANTS
TO SEE MORE OPENNESS IN THE MEDIA AND FORBIDS MEMBERS
OF HIS IMMEDIATE STAFF FROM CONTACTING JOURNALS TO
PROTEST OFFENDING ARTICLES. ABDALLAH GAVE ASSURANCES
THAT THE GOT PRESIDENCY WOULD CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR
FREER TUNISIAN MEDIA IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION BY SOME
IN THE GOVERNMENT. HE STRESSED WHAT HE SAW AS THE
CRUCIAL ROLE PLAYED BY OPPOSITION PARTY JOURNALS IN
PROMOTING A FREE PRESS, SAYING THE GOT LEADERSHIP
ENCOURAGED THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH JOURNALS, WITH WHAT
HE DESCRIBED AS THEIR MORE OPEN REPORTING, IN AN
EFFORT TO WHITTLE DOWN THE PRACTICE OF SELF-CENSORSHIP
BY THE MEDIA GENERALLY.

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HUMAN RIGHTS
--------------


8. (C) AMBASSAD0R SAID THAT IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR BEN
ALI TO DISCUSS FRANKLY AND OPENLY TUNISIA'S HUMAN
RIGHTS SITUATION DURING HIS U.S. VISIT. ABDALLAH TOOK
THIS ON BOARD AND REMARKED THAT FOREIGN NGO'S AND
OTHERS HAD VOICED "MANY EXAGGERATIONS" IN CRITICIZING
THE GOT'S RECORD ON HUMAN RIGHTS. HE CITED
ALLEGATIONS ABOUT POLITICAL PRISONERS HERE AS A CASE
IN POINT, MAINTAINING THAT THEY WERE NOT BEING HELD
SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR VIEWS, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE
TYPICALLY ISLAMIST EXTREMISTS CONVICTED BY THE COURTS
0F COMMITING ACTS OF VIOLENCE OR BEING INVOLVED IN
PLOTTING SUCH ACTS. AMBASSADOR RESP0NDED THAT, WHILE
RESORTING TO, OR ESPOUSING VIOLENCE AS A P0LITICAL
TOOL WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN ANY SOCIETY, THE FREEDOM TO
CRITICIZE AND EXPRESS DISSENTING VIEWS, WHETHER BY
ISLAMISTS OR OTHERS, NEEDED T0 BE RESPECTED. ABDALLAH
REJOINED THAT, FOR THE GOT, THERE WERE NO "MODERATE
ISLAMISTS" WILLING TO ACCEPT DEMOCRATIC N0RMS;
INSTEAD, THE GOT'S EXPERIENCE WAS THAT ISLAMISTS, EVEN
IF PROFESSING SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY, ACTUALLY REJECTED
IT AND SOUGHT TO IMPOSE AN AUTHORITARIAN ISLAMIC
STATE.


9. (C) AMBASSAD0R POINTED OUT THAT FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION AND DEBATE WAS KEY TO ANY EFFORT TO
DEMOCRATIZE A POLITICAL SYSTEM, DESPITE INEVITABLE
ABUSES 0F THESE FREEDOMS BY S0ME. ABDALLAH REITERATED
THE GOT'S COMMITMENT T0 DEMOCRATIZATION, CITING BEN
ALI'S INITIATIVES, NOW ENSHRINED IN LEGISLATI0N, TO
ENSURE MULTIPLE CANDIDATES IN THE 1999 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS AS WELL AS A MINIMUM OF 20 PERCENT OF
PARLIAMENTARY SEATS FOR OPPOSITION CANDIDATES IN THIS
YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS. ABDALLAH ADDED THAT THE
GOT'S COMMITMENT TO UNDERTAKE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS UNDER
ITS ASSOCIATI0N AGREEMENT WITH THE EUR0PEAN UNION
REFLECTED ITS "STRATEGIC CHOICE" IN FAVOR OF OPEN
POLITICAL, AS WELL AS ECONOMIC, SYSTEMS.

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THE KSILA CASE
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10. (C) AMBASSADOR RAISED THE CASE OF TUNISIAN HUMAN
RIGHTS LEAGUE VICE PRESIDENT KHEMAIS KSILA, IMPRISONED
SINCE FEBRUARY 1998 FOLLOWING ARREST AND CONVICTION IN
COURT FOR CIRCULATING AN ANTI-GOT COMMUNIQUE. NOTING
THE QUESTIONABLE GROUNDS FOR KSILA'S PROSECUTION,
AMBASSADOR URGED THAT THE GOT LOOK FOR WAYS TO RELEASE
THE ACTIVIST, POINTING OUT THAT DOING SO PRIOR TO BEN
ALI'S WASHINGTON VISIT WOULD BE ESPECIALLY NOTICED BY
U.S. AUDIENCES. ABDALLAH RESPONDED, ALONG STANDARD
GOT LINES, THAT KSILA HAD BEEN PROSECUTED AND
CONVICTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TUNISIAN LAW. (COMMENT:
IN FACT, THERE WERE SEVERAL IRREGULARITIES, INCLUDING
THE GOT SWITCHING JUDGES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIAL.)
NONETHELESS, HE INDICATED THAT THE GOT WOULD BE
PREPARED TO CONSIDER GRANTING HIM EARLY RELEASE UNDER
A CLEMENCY ARRANGEMENT SIMILAR TO THAT EXTENDED TO
OTHER PRISONERS. THE RUB, ACCORDING TO ABDALLAH, WAS
THAT SO FAR KSILA HAD REFUSED TO SUBMIT THE STANDARD
LETTER TO HEN ALI, REQUESTING CLEMENCY, REQUIRED OF
ALL PRISONERS SEEKING EARLY RELEASE. ABDALLAH CLAIMED
THAT WHILE KSILA'S WIFE HAD URGED HIM TO SUBMIT THE
LETTER, HE STUBBORNLY REFUSED. WHEN AMBASSADOR ASKED
WHY, ABDALLAH RESPONDED THAT KSILA HAD AN OBSTINATE
CHARACTER AND PERHAPS WISHED TO PRESENT HIMSELF AS A
MARTYR. IN RESPONSE T0 AMBASSADOR'S QUERY, ABDALLAH
FLATLY DISMISSED KISILA AS A POTENTIAL THREAT TO THE
BEN ALI GOVERNMENT, SAYING KSILA HAD NO SIGNIFICANT
FOLLOWING IN POLITICAL CIRCLES.

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COMMENT
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11. (C) ABDALLAH, WIDELY VIEWED AS A KEY MEMBER OF
THE PRESIDENT'S INNER CIRCLE, HAS SERVED IN HIS
CURRENT POSITION SINCE DECEMBER 1990. LIKE OTHER
SENIOR ADVISERS TO BEN ALI, ABDALLAH MAINTAINS A LOW
PUBLIC PROFILE; DESPITE THE TITLE OF PRESIDENTIAL
SPOKESMAN, HE RARELY MAKES PUBLIC PRON0UNCEMENTS.
ABDALLAH IS REGARDED BY SOME TUNISIAN AND DIPLOMATIC
CONTACTS AS A SHADOWY FIGURE, ORCHESTRATING SECRETIVE,
AUTHORITARIAN TENDENCIES WITH THE HEN ALI GOVERNMENT.
HOWEVER, HE PROJECTED A FAR DIFFERENT IMAGE IN HIS
CONVERSATI0N WITH THE AMBASSADOR, COMING ACROSS AS
SM0OTH, SELF-CONFIDENT, AND ENGAGING INTERLOCUT0R. HE
SEEMED WELL-DISP0SED T0WARD THE U.S., RECALLING WARMLY
HIS DEALINGS OVER THE YEARS WITH A SUCCESSION OF U.S.
AMBASSAD0RS, JOURNALISTS, AND 0THERS. ABDALLAH
APPEARED TO BE WELL-INFORMED ABOUT THE U.S. MEDIA
ESTABLISHMENT; HE SPOKE FONDLY OF A 1987 MEETING HERE,
AS INFORMATI0N MINISTER, WITH THE WASHINGTON POST'S
KATHRYN GRAHAM. HOWEVER, WE HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE
ABILITY OF ABDALLAH AND HEN ALI TO IMPLEMENT A SERIOUS
COMMITMENT TO A MORE OPEN MEDIA, ASSUMING THEY HAVE
SUCH A COMMITMENT; VARIOUS CONTACTS HAVE ALLEGED THAT
IT IS ABDALLAH HIMSELF, NOT OTHER UNNAMED OFFICIALS HE
CITED, WHO IS RESISTANT TO A FREER TUNISIAN MEDIA.


12. (C) ABDALLAH'S PREDICTABLY EXAGGERATED PORTRAYAL
OF BEN ALI AS ENERGETIC, REFORM-MINDED LEADER 0F A
MODERNIZING, TOLERANT ISLAMIC COUNTRY SERVED AS A
FORETASTE OF THE GOT'S MEDIA CAMPAIGN SURROUNDING THE
UPCOMING WASHINGT0N VISIT. ABDALLAH SEEMS TO REALIZE,
THOUGH, THAT PROMOTING THIS PRESIDENTIAL IMAGE WILL
REQUIRE BEN ALI TO BE ARTICULATE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
IN ADDRESSING THE TOUGHER ISSUES BEF0RE U.S.
AUDIENCES--SUCH AS THE G0T'S LESS-THAN-PERFECT HUMAN
RIGHTS RECORD AND THE GOT'S FAILURE OF LATE TO BE AS
SUPPORTIVE AS IN THE PAST OF U.S. EFFORTS ON THE
MEPP. END C0MMENT.


13. (C) BIO DETAILS: ABDALLAH, BORN IN 1940, WAS
EDUCATED AS A LAWYER IN FRANCE. HE IS A VETERAN
JOURNALIST AND ACTIVIST IN THE RULING PARTY. PRIOR TO
HIS CURRENT POSITION, HE SERVED AS AMBASSAD0R TO
BRITAIN (1988-90) AND INFORMATI0N MINISTER (1987-88).
AMONG HIS EARLIER POSITIONS: DIRECTOR OF TUNISIA'S
NATI0NAL PRESS SERVICE (1986-87),PUBLISHER OF
FRENCH-LANGUAGE DAILY "LA PRESSE DE TUNISIE"
(1979-86),AND CHIEF OF STAFF TO INFORMATION MINISTER
(1978-79) AND TO CULTURE MINISTER (1976-78). ALTHOUGH
HE APPEARS TO UNDERSTAND ENGLISH, HE C0NVERSED WITH
AMBASSADOR IN FRENCH; HE ALSO SPEAKS ARABIC.


RAPHEL