16th
WikiLeaks and Tunisia
Today’s NY Times has an article on WikiLeaks and Tunisia. It it we find this gem:
An upbeat August 2008 cable giving Condoleezza Rice, then the secretary of state, a survey of Tunisia before a visit reported that “Tunisia styles itself ‘a country that works’ .” The writer added, “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.”
I spoke with my Congressman two nights ago about Tunisia. He had been there in 2009 and could tell from a single taxi ride, where he discovered that the driver was afraid to say anything political, that Ben Ali was not appreciated.
