THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Thomas Cook, the British tour operator, is evacuating about 1,800 tourists from Tunisia, as unrest spreads across the country.
The company said it had not seen any specific problems for travelers in Tunisia but was asking everyone to leave as a precaution. The evacuation, which was coupled with the cancellation of flights from Britain to Tunisia, was likely to hit the North African nation's tourism industry, a mainstay of its economy, hard. >>> | Friday, January 14, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tunisia riots: Tunisia, 'the enemy of the internet' – The sunny, modern, welcoming country of Tunisia looks an unlikely bedfellow of North Korea, Burma and Turkmenistan. All, however, feature on Reporters without Borders' list of 12 "enemies of the internet" for their attempts to censor 21st century communication. >>> Richard Spencer | Friday, January 14, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Thousands of Tunisians take to the streets despite president's vow to quit: Lawyers, doctors and students urge Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to go immediately after leader pledges not to seek re-election in 2014 >>> Angelique Chrisafis in Tunis and Peter Walker | Friday, January 14, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: US embassy warns Tunisian anger over corruption and unemployment, as well as 'intense dislike' for president's wife, threaten country's stability
Tunisia has blocked the website of a Lebanese newspaper that published US cables released by WikiLeaks describing high-level corruption, a sclerotic regime, and deep hatred of President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali's wife and her family.
Deeply unflattering reports from the US embassy in Tunis, released by WikiLeaks, make no bones about the state of the small Maghreb country, widely considered one of the most repressive in a repressive region.
"The problem is clear," wrote ambassador Robert Godec in July 2009, in a secret dispatch released by Beirut's al-Akhbar newspaper. "Tunisia has been ruled by the same president for 22 years. He has no successor. And, while President Ben Ali deserves credit for continuing many of the progressive policies of President Bourguiba, he and his regime have lost touch with the Tunisian people. They tolerate no advice or criticism, whether domestic or international. Increasingly, they rely on the police for control and focus on preserving power.
"Corruption in the inner circle is growing. Even average Tunisians are now keenly aware of it, and the chorus of complaints is rising. Tunisians intensely dislike, even hate, first lady Leila Trabelsi and her family. In private, regime opponents mock her; even those close to the government express dismay at her reported behaviour. Meanwhile, anger is growing at Tunisia's high unemployment and regional inequities. As a consequence, the risks to the regime's long-term stability are increasing." >>> Ian Black, Middle East editor | Tuesday, December 07, 2010
THE GUARDIAN: We've become used to gossiping about the regime and feeling that we're plotting. But now we see the time to rebel has come
I am part of the new generation that has lived in Tunisia under the absolute rule of President Ben Ali.
In high school and college, we are always afraid to talk politics: "There are reporters everywhere," we are told. Nobody dares discussing politics in public; everyone is suspicious. Your neighbour, your friend, your grocer might be Ben Ali's informer: do you or your father want to be forcibly taken to an undefined place one night at 4am?
We grow up with this fear of activism; we continue studying, going out and partying, regardless of politics.
During high school, we begin to find out the intricacies of the "royal" family and hear stories here and there – about a relative of Leila [Trabelsi, the president's wife] who took control of an industry, who has appropriated the land of another person, who dealt with the Italian mafia. We talk and discuss it among ourselves – everybody is aware of what's going on, but there is no action. We quickly learn that Tunisian television is the worst television that exists. Everything is relayed to the glory of President Ben Ali, who's always shown at his best. We all know he dyes his hair black. Nobody likes his wife, who has a wooden smile: she never seemed sincere. >>> Sam | Thursday, January 13, 2011
Related >>>
AMAZON.fr: La régente de Carthage [Broché] >>>NAWAAT.org: “La régente de Carthage” : les extraits du livre événement sur Leila Trabelsi épouse Ben Ali >>>
CITY DZ MAGAZINE: La Régente de Carthage: Le livre qui fait trembler Tunis – La Régente de Carthage, une enquête explosive des journalistes Nicolas Beau et Catherine Graciet sur le rôle que jouent en Tunisie Leïla Trabelsi, l’épouse du président Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, et sa famille, vient de sortir aux éditions La Découverte. Un « clan » accusé de contrôler, sur fond de corruption, des secteurs clés de l’économie. >>>
BAKCHICH.info: Tunisie, Hamma Hammami enlevé par les flics de Ben Ali : En Tunisie, le ministre de l’Intérieur a été démissionné et l’armée appelée en renfort. Un des rares opposants historiques, Hamma Hammami, a été enlevé mercredi matin à son domicile. >>> Nicolas Beau | Mercredi 12 Janvier 2011
WIKIPÉDIA: Hamma Hammami >>>
