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

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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

`