Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 4952 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Yemen Jordan

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10
2002/02 2002/03 2002/11
2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ASEC AJ AM AF AR AMGT AE AU AGMT AG AS AORC AFIN APER ABUD ATRN AL AEMR ACOA AO AX AMED ADCO AODE AFFAIRS AC ASIG ABLD AA AFU ASUP AROC ATFN AVERY APCS AER ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AEC
BTIO BEXP BL BR BM BH BA BE BK BRUSSELS BX BU BO BIDEN BY BG BF BB BC BBSR BMGT BTIU BILAT
CIA CACM CDB CU CH CI CS CVIS CA CO CBW CASC CD CV CMGT CLINTON CE CJAN CG CF CN CAN COUNTER CDG CIS CM CONDOLEEZZA COE CR CY CTM COUNTRY CLEARANCE CPAS CWC CT CKGR CB CACS COM CJUS CARSON COUNTERTERRORISM
DEAX DR DA DHS DOE DEA DK DJ DISENGAGEMENT DS DTRA DOD
EI EFIN ECON EAID ETRD EINV ENRG EAIR ELAB EN EAGR ETTC EPET EU EIND EWWT EUN EG ELTN EREL ER EMIN ECIN ECPS EFIS EINT EZ ET EC ECONEFIN ENVR ES ECA ELN EXTERNAL EINVETC ENIV EINN ENGR EUR ESA ENERG EK ENGY ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC
FR FINR FAO FTAA FREEDOM FI FARC FBI FJ FMLN
GG GM GH GA GV GE GT GR GTIP GOI GCC GAZA GZ GTMO
HA HU HR HILLARY HUMAN HO HYMPSK HURI HK HSTC
IR IS IZ IT ICTY IV IN IQ ICAO INTERPOL IPR INRB IAEA IRAJ INRA INRO IO IC ID IIP ITPHUM IWC ISRAELI IRAQI ICRC IMO IF ILC IEFIN INTELSAT IL IA IBRD IMF INR IRC ITALY ITALIAN
JAMES JO JA JOSEPH JP JOHNNIE JUS
KPAL KNNP KGCC KSUM KPIN KDRG KTFN KU KPAO KCRM KDEM KWBG KG KBIO KHIV KSCA KAWK KISL KN KS KHLS KCOR KZ KE KSPR KJUS KFRD KTIP KIPR KPKO KNUC KMDR KGHG KPLS KOLY KUNR KIRF KIRC KACT KGIC KRAD KCOM KMCA KV KHDP KVPR KDEV KWMN KMPI KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KCFC KTIA KPRP KAWC KCIP KCFE KOCI KTDB KMRS KLIG KBCT KICC KGIT KSTC KPAK KNEI KSEP KPOA KFLU KNUP KNNPMNUC KOMC KO KTER KHUM KRFD KBTR KDDG KWWMN KFLO KSAF KBTS KPRV KNPP KNAR KWMM KERG KFIN KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KTBT KCRS KRVC KSTH KREL KNSD KPAI KHSA KR KPWR KWAC KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF
LG LH LE LY LU LI LO LOG LT
MOPS MARR MASS MX MCAP MIL MNUC MTCRE MO ML MR MZ MPOS MOPPS MTCR MAPP MU MY MA MG MASC MCC MEPP MK MTRE MP MDC MAR MEPI MRCRE MI MT MQADHAFI MD MAPS MUCN MASSMNUC MERCOSUR
NIPP NATO NU NI NPT NG NL NO NE NS NAR NZ NPG NK NSG NA NT NASA NGO NP NSF NATIONAL
OSAC OAS OPRC OVIP OEXC OIIP ODIP OREP OFDP OPDC OTRA OSCE OPIC OECD OPCW OSCI OIE OIC OTR OVP OFFICIALS
PREL PGOV PINR PTER PINS PHUM PROP PK PARM PINL PL POL PREF PE PBIO PSOE PBTS PHSA PKFK PO PGOF PA PARMS PORG PM PMIL PTERE PF PALESTINIAN PY PGGV PNR POV PAK PAO PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PRGOV PNAT PROV PEL PINF PGOVE POLINT PRL PRAM PMAR PGOVLO PHUMBA POLITICS PEPR PSI PINT PU POLITICAL PARTIES PECON POGOV
QA
RS RU RW RP RO RIGHTS RICE ROBERT RF RFE REGION
SOCI SP SY SA SENV SCUL SR SNAR STEINBERG SF SW SU SL SG SMIG SO SN SHUM SZ SYR ST SANC SC SAN SIPRS SK SH SI
TS TU TX TBIO TW TSPA TH TIP TI TRGY TC TR TT TERRORISM TO TFIN TD TSPL TZ TPHY TK TNGD
UK UNSC UP UG UV US UN UNGA USEU USUN UY UZ UNO UNMIK UNESCO UE UAE UNEP USTR UNHCR UNDP UNHRC USAID UNCHS UNAUS
VE VZ VN VT VM VTPREL
WTRO WA WI WMO WTRQ WHO WWARD WB WBG WEU WTO
XM XR XS XL XK XH XA XF XT XY XG XC XZ XW XD XE
YM YI YE
ZB ZI ZF ZP ZK ZANU ZOELLICK ZR ZU ZA ZO ZJ

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 09TUNIS372, TUNISIAN CRITICIZES REGIME IN FORTHCOMING BOOK;

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09TUNIS372.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09TUNIS372 | 2009-06-16 18:06 | 2010-12-13 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN | Embassy Tunis

`

    VZCZCXRO0893
    PP RUEHROV RUEHTRO
    DE RUEHTU #0372/01 1671845
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    P 161845Z JUN 09 ZDK
    FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6374
    INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TUNIS 000372

    NOFORN
    SIPDIS

    STATE FOR NEA/MAG (NARDI AND HAYES)

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2019
    TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCOR SOCI PREL TS
    SUBJECT: TUNISIAN CRITICIZES REGIME IN FORTHCOMING BOOK;
    SHARES ANECDOTE OF BEN ALI CORRUPTION

    REF: 07 TUNIS 1489

    TUNIS 00000372  001.2 OF 003

    Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

    -------
    Summary
    -------

    ¶1. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX approached Ambassador and Pol/EconCouns
    XXXXXXXXXXXX to share with us XXXXXXXXXXXX the Ambassador gave him assurances that we would.
    XXXXXXXXXXXX shared a rare first-hand account of
    corruption from several years ago in which Ben Ali himself
    was described as asking for a 50 percent stake in
    XXXXXXXXXXXX private university.  XXXXXXXXXXXX

    --------------------------------------------- ---------
    XXXXXXXXXXXX
    XXXXXXXXXXXX [BOOK TITLE REDACTED]
    --------------------------------------------- ---------

    ¶2. (C) On the margins of a networking event for aspiring and
    successful social entrepreneurs XXXXXXXXXXXX  The
    book is extremely critical of the Ben Ali regime for, among
    other things, the "duality" between official discourse and
    the reality on the ground.  Specifically XXXXXXXXXXXX points
    to the "stifling" of political liberties and "omnipotent"
    controls on the media.  He also charges that freedom of
    association is "illusory" and assesses that "the rule of law
    is more fiction than reality."  XXXXXXXXXXXX

    -------------------
    XXXXXXXXXXXX
    -------------------

    ¶3. XXXXXXXXXXXX asked that the US Embassy follow his case XXXXXXXXXXXX;
    the Ambassador assured him that we
    would do so.  Pol/EconCouns reviewed XXXXXXXXXXXX some of
    the accounts of life in prison that we have heard from
    released political prisoners; XXXXXXXXXXXX.

    ----------------------
    Tale of Corruption I:
    The French Connection?
    ----------------------

    ¶4. (C/NF) Asked whether he had also been in touch with other
    western embassies, XXXXXXXXXXXX said that he had not.  He had
    avoided reaching out to the French, in particular, arguing
    that Ambassador Degallaix is seen as Ben Ali's Ambassador to
    French President Sarkozy, not vice versa.  In addition,
    XXXXXXXXXXXX alleged that the GOT has improperly given
    Ambassador Degallaix a villa, which is registered in his
    daughter's name, on rue Sidi Dhrif, near the President's own
    residence.  He did not offer any evidence of this alleged
    corruption or explain how this knowledge came to him.

    XXXXXXXXXXXX

    --------------------------------------------
    Tale of Corruption II:
    Ben Ali Seeks 50 Percent Stake XXXXXXXXXXXX
    --------------------------------------------

    ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX likened corruption to a dangerous cancer
    that is spreading in Tunisia, spurred on by the corrupt
    practices of President Ben Ali and his extended family.  When
    Pol/EconCouns responded by noting that most tales of
    corruption that we hear concern "The Family" rather than the
    President himself, XXXXXXXXXXXX recounted an incident in which
    Ben Ali himself was involved.  XXXXXXXXXXXX Ben Ali came off as "very
    uneducated" in the meeting, failing to grasp some of the key
    points XXXXXXXXXXXX about the virtues XXXXXXXXXXXX Ben Ali abruptly told him that
    he wanted a 50-50 stake in the enterprise.  Fearful of
    responding in the negative, XXXXXXXXXXXX said he "played dumb,"
    pretending not to understand the President's proposition.

    -------------------------------
    Other Run-ins with "The Family"
    -------------------------------

    ¶6. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX also reviewed the difficulties that lead to
    the closure XXXXXXXXXXXX

    How Suha Arafat Got Into Trouble
    --------------------------------

    ¶7. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX also offered a theory as to what was behind
    the GOT's decision to revoke Suha Arafat's Tunisian
    citizenship in 2007.  (Note:  Reftel also reports on this
    incident.)  He said that he had heard that Leila Ben Ali at
    that time had been scheming to marry off an 18 year-old niece
    (NFI) to UAE Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Sheik Mohamed bin
    Rashid al-Maktoum, one of whose wives is the half-sister of
    the King of Jordan.  According to this rumor, Suha Arafat
    warned Jordanian Queen Rania about Leila Ben Ali's plans.
    Word of Arafat's intervention got back to the Tunisian First
    Lady, who turned against Arafat and soon forced her out of
    Tunisia.

    ---------------------
    XXXXXXXXXXXX
    ---------------------

    ¶8. XXXXXXXXXXXX

    -------
    XXXXXXXXXXXX
    -------

    ¶9. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX is extremely well respected and considered
    an upstanding member of the community.  While we might doubt
    the veracity of some of the rumors that he shared with us, we
    have no reason to doubt his account of his conversation with
    President Ben Ali, in which he described the President as
    seeking a 50 percent stake in his private university.  We
    routinely hear allegations of corruption, and such
    allegations are inherently difficult to prove.
    XXXXXXXXXXXX anecdote strikes us as credible.  It is also
    significant in that it implicates Ben Ali himself, while so
    many other reported incidents of corruption involve his
    extended family.

    ¶10. XXXXXXXXXXXX

    Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at:
    http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm
    Godec

`