Certain recent events in Tunisia raise question mark as to whether the country is headed for a change? Some of these events are:
- The Tunis media, and especially the ‘Tunis News’ and ‘Al-Wasat-at-Tunisiyyah’ have carried news indicating that Zine El Abidine is suffering from prostate cancer and there are no hopes of a cure. He is also reported to have traveled secretly to Europe for treatment.
- In August 2005, a Tunisian diplomat Kamel Morjane, who was working with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), was appointed to head the Tunisian Defence Ministry. Soon after having taken charge as the MoD, Morjane began a fast-paced diplomatic campaign during which he concluded some very important agreements with the United States.
- In February 2006 the Donald Rumsfeld visited North African Arab countries including Tunisia, and Kamel Morjane reciprocated with his trip to the US later during the same year.
- In 2007, Nicholas Sarkozy, the new French President who is known to be close to the US, visited the region- this was his first trip outside Europe as president.
- In the month of July last, a delegation of US Congress paid visit to Tunisia.
- In late last July, a group of leaders belonging to the Tunisian An-Nahdhah Movement were set free.
- Recently, the US Deputy Chief of Staff Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr. visited Tunisia last week and met with senior Tunisian officials, later a delegation of US officers followed his visit to Tunisia.
Does all this indicate that America has started to take a foothold in Tunisia?
