There are considerable number of Egyptian editor in chiefs and journalists in Egypt who should apologize immediately to the Tunisian people. For the past 23 years we had those paid PR reports about the achievements of Ben Ali in Tunisia , for the past 23 years all the Egyptian newspapers except very few like original Dostor praised Ben Ali and his wife Laila.
Some will argue and say that the newspapers could not refuse the big checks paid by the Tunisian embassy and I will say no they can especially the weekly private owned newspapers.
There are also those journalists like Hamdi Razek who used to praise Ben Ali directly and explicitly just because he fought all signs of religion in the country , these journalists should apologize immediately to the Tunisian people. “Actually those journalists have to apologize to the Egyptian people one day”
There is no doubt that the mainstream media in Egypt is a very critical position because it used to praise Ben Ali day and night aside from the fear that the Egyptians will be encouraged by the Tunisian brothers and imitate them.
Among the journalists who should apologize immediately to the Tunisian people Lebanese journalist and TV hostess Maria Malaouf who used to praise the Queen of Carthage Laila Ben Ali .
These Egyptian and Arab journalists do not have any excuse in kissing the ass of Ben Ali .
P.S I know that after Saddam and Ben Ali some Arab journalists have lost important source of income.
Some will argue and say that the newspapers could not refuse the big checks paid by the Tunisian embassy and I will say no they can especially the weekly private owned newspapers.
There are also those journalists like Hamdi Razek who used to praise Ben Ali directly and explicitly just because he fought all signs of religion in the country , these journalists should apologize immediately to the Tunisian people. “Actually those journalists have to apologize to the Egyptian people one day”
There is no doubt that the mainstream media in Egypt is a very critical position because it used to praise Ben Ali day and night aside from the fear that the Egyptians will be encouraged by the Tunisian brothers and imitate them.
Among the journalists who should apologize immediately to the Tunisian people Lebanese journalist and TV hostess Maria Malaouf who used to praise the Queen of Carthage Laila Ben Ali .
These Egyptian and Arab journalists do not have any excuse in kissing the ass of Ben Ali .
P.S I know that after Saddam and Ben Ali some Arab journalists have lost important source of income.
Technorati Tags: Citizen Journalism,Egypt,Democracy,Media,Maghreb,National,Tunisia,Economy,Ben Ali,Laila Ben Ali
they need to apologise for the Egyptian ppl first. Dnt worry and remember what goes around comes around, its a matter of time before they change their skins, curse the old regime and claim being victims :)
ReplyDeleteI just checked out your twitter link to the ex-ambassador to Morocco's rant on Aljazeera's coverage of the Tunisian Revolution. WOW! It was so deliciously ironic I can't stop re-reading.
ReplyDeleteI wish Aljazeera could find a way to cover it, there is no better award I think. Plus he recommends Arabs watch Alarabiya instead :D(although even they changed their tune on Tunisia later, reminds me of their slowly shifting coverage on Israel's bombardment of Gaza).
The CIA toppled Ben Ali and now they are spreading lies. I have been to various parts of North Africa, including Tunisia, over the years. Have you been to Tunisia?
ReplyDelete- Aangirfan
One valid reason why the CIA would topple Benali, one reason they need to see one of their allies go? one reason please that makes sense? got bullshit?
ReplyDeleteYou can not compare the Arab hero Saddam to bEN aLI. Saddam ceated a secular socilaist state that enjoyed the best health care and education standards in the middle east. It was anticipated in 1988 to reach the levels of western European countries within a time span of ten years! He defeated the much bigger Iran and checked the advance of the retarded Khomeinist Ideas into Iraq.
ReplyDeleteHe refused to flee the country and organized one of the greatest reistance movements known in history; one that desopite the crimes of the Iranian miltias have rocked the foundations of the mighties army on eartth
Here are 3 - reaons out of many:
ReplyDelete1 - Tunisia supported neither the 1991 Gulf War nor the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
2 - Ben Ali supported the Palestinians.
3 - In September 2010, Tunisia ratified the international treaty banning cluster munitions, becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to do so...
Last anonymous I hate to correct some points :
ReplyDelete1- Ben Ali supported the invasion of Kuwait "according to the Tunisians themselves"
2- Ben Ali had secret good relations with Israel , already he used Israeli tear gas grenades against his own people
Please check my wikileaks cable and the meeting between Ben Ali and David Welch , you will see that the Americans do not have any benefit from removing him
You are insulting the Tunisians and their suffering when you bring that CIA talk
I see, that makes a lot of sense.. he didn't support the first Gulf war and 20 years later America got reminded :"hey, didnt this guy oppose us like 2 decades ago..we gotta get him!"
ReplyDeleteVery few Arab states supported the first Gulf war, apart from the direct participants in Desert storm(Syria, Egypt, Saudis) and a couple of gulf countries, no Arab countries supported that war..that didn't mean they supported the Iraqi annexation. they just didn't believe in a military resolution[especially one involving foreign troops] and they tried to work it out through the Arab eague of nations[big joke I know]
Neither did Mubarak support the 2003 invasion of Iraq..that did not make him prevent the US navy from using the Suze canal to bombard bAghdad athough it was his legal right to prevent any warships from Egyptian waterways according to the International treaty for straits and waterways[Bosporus] he was entitled to close down the canall because the U.S war on Iraq imposes threats on the region and subsequently Egypt, not to mention over 1 million Egyptian expats in Iraq who became under direct threat and he had the right to protect Egyptian citizens by shutting down the Suez[article 5]. Neither did kiddo-king of Jordan support it, yet several U.S battalions launched infantry operations from Jordanian territory. Are you surprised that politicians say one thing[to save face] and do the complete opposite?
Besides history and common sense[I really hate people who debate common sense and then tell you it's freedom of speech] it's like arguing that a cat is a fluffy horse, you can't see a cat, can you? just fluffy horses?
Anyway, if that had anything to do with CIA black ops..you would have a flown-in president the next day, sworn in and starting up a new dictatorship..that's the hallmark of CIA coups[remeber Saddam?]. Obviously Tunisia is under no foreign control now and they really really hate that, if they had anything to do with it then they just shot themselves in the foot.
hey look, beautiful horsie:
http://bit.ly/h8SGH6
hey look.. CIA coup:
http://bit.ly/hFzJPX
Though a US client president Ben Ali made a big mistake that the US never forgave him for but decided to keep him until the time he needs to be replaced. There were many mistakes but the one I am referring to is that unlike your claim, Tunisia did not support the 1991 Gulf War or the 2003 war against Iraq and, when the 2003 war began, Ben Ali expressed regret and fear that the conflict might destabilize the Middle East. Along with other Tunisian officials the criticism was not voiced "directly at the United States" but well understood by the US but for the sake of sustaining the relations it was circumspect, and the US took a stance that did not harm bilateral relations. The reason was that by allowing U.S.- Tunisian relations to continue means that both will emphasize cooperation in counterterrorism, the penalty Ben Ali paid however was that despite asking for greater focus on increasing trade, he never really got it and since 80% of the Tunisian economy depends on foreign economic demand, unemployment grew and grew simmering for when the time is right and the army will be requested to withdraw its support from Ben Ali.
ReplyDeleteHow would the US benefit? well by extending the client government mandate now that Ben Ali is 73, and jump the gun before China or anyone else. How dare you accuse me of betraying the Tunisian People.
Another thing I forgeot to point out, when the US creates a client state, they always hold something against the leader of that state, as in the case of the Shah and Saddam. For example in the case of Ben Ali, they supported him in raising the most brutal regimes turning a blind eye, on purpouse yet appearing to ask him to uphold human rights, they did the same with Saddam and the shah. The end result is unpopularity at home which will come in handy once the US decides to get rid of him through popular so called democratic support. Ben Ali was stupid just like Saddam since he never really called the US bluff and looked after the rights of the Tunisian people before he did the US. Had he done that however then the US will seek to get rid of him a lot sooner one way or another. Why dont the Arab leader learn, could it be because they are SOoooo...stupid?
ReplyDeleteThe Tunisian people had better be aware and I have every confidence that they will be by sticking to their guns and demanding nothing short of a democratically elected government by them for them and nobody else. Long live Tunisia.
Actually they did advice him to loosen things up a liitle and allow for some freedoms[like shithead in Egypt] and they actually complained that he didn't listen..they tried to help him out and keep him in power by appeasing the masses even a little. They like the democracy facade so they don't appear to be supporting abrutual despot.. they know that allowing the people a room to vent off will prevent a complete erruption. I don't like comparisons of completely different countries and times.. Shah time, world was very different in a coldwar and US primary interest was communist expansion in the middleeast. Sadam beginings was as a CIA informer..that's no secret but he turned against them when he decided to become an Arab hero[as in lots of blah blah speeches]. They don't need to hold anything against Arab rulers..it's not like they are just incorrupt saints, each and every one of them rules the country like it was their own kitchen garden.. reports of corruption, bribes and favouritism are endless in amost every Arab state. Their backgrounds are scandalous from money laundrying to illegal trade to sex parties, the US doesn't need to create a pretence to have anything against them...they already do that for free.
ReplyDeleteIn the end I think you are overstating the importance of Tunisia in the region. US intrests in the region revolve around 3 specific things. resources[mainly Oil and Gas]:All Gulf countries, Iraq, Libya, Algeria and soon Sudan- Strategic: Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Somal - proximity to bogus state: Jordan, Egypt, lebanon, Syria.
ReplyDeleteRest of Arab countries are of little interest to them: Tunisia and Mauritania.. not suprisingly the only 2 Arab countries on the path to a real democracy, that's their blessing..the west don't care, the west don't meddle.
Not true, The world has reached oil peak point and soon wars will be fought to get it, what do you think Iraq and Iran is about?
ReplyDeleteTunisia is and will be very important to the US, it sits smack in the middle between two oil rich nationalistic states Lybia to the south next to Egypt which has borders with Palestine and Algeria to the West and the rest of Africa to the deep South. Also Tunisia twards the north is a panoramic window to Europe, only a few hundred miles from Italy, france etc.. now to the East, it opens the Mediterranean going all the way to Beirut Lebabnon and slightly south to Israel, so a presence in Bizert is ideal to cover the mediterranean through to the middle East, Europe and the Atlantic, and commercially speaking to transport oil the west onto the Atlantic (the US) and beyond, apart from the regional influence advantage. Such a plan would be difficult if Lybia and Algeria are unstable nationalistic regimes so a democratic client state Tunisia could be the solution. Why do you think carthage was valuable to Rome, to the Vikings before them, to the Arabs from the Middle East and to France before and after WW2. And why it was that the war against Hitler was concluded in Tunisia, you know, the Battle of Tunisia, I'll tell you, Tunisia is a very important economic and strategic zone.
In addition as a bonus, Oil was also found in Tunisia itself, but what is most important is that if the US, not france, can find a way to increase presence in the Magreb controlling the commercial exploitation of regional resources it will deny these resources to China and India which are looking at the Maghreb to increase their future superpower status which will increasingly depend on shrinking oil reserves, So controlling nationalism including extreemism in the region is part of the equasion, So strategically speaking Tunisia is the place to be now and in the future.
In addition, Tunisia has an educated mass which could be used to "promote" western values either economically, educationally, socially or otherwise to the whole region including Africa. Think strategically man, think.
http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2011/01/soros-or-some-chinese-guy-elliot-abrams.html
ReplyDeleteYou're just reciting Hekal's hogwash..I think you are the one who needs to really think instead of believing complete bollocks by someone like Hekal. The US never really cared about Tunisia or politics there, to them it was mostly a French zone and they don't care to go into odds with France over Tunisia. They didn't care then they don't care now..the French do for their own reasons..nothing strategic actually.
ReplyDeleteOil was not found in Tunisia, you said that before without proof..previously you said offshore, even if that is true[which isn't] offshore drilling is not always cost effective..there could be oil right underneath where you're sitting right now whereever you are, that means nothing unless excavation, drilling and extraction is cost effective and depending on the crude quality which is not all the same. So even if some explorations say there might be crude here or there, to a country like Tunisia it might not be worth it as long as it's getting oil from its neighbours like Libya and Algeria at a special rate and not market price[ that's exactly why isreal is holding off offshore gas production because it gets it cheaper from Egypt than drilling itself]. Oil is much more complicated than you think.
The conflict in Iran has nothing to do with Oil, Iran has enough to sustain its population plus exports and is not interested in Iraq's oil. Iran has dared to tread into the nuclear zone restricted to the west, it has obtained the technology, science and know-how which makes the bogus state very uneasy even if Iran will never produce nuclear weapons..just their ability to know how is enough to make isrealis and their US puppets worried.
If you really believe that Tunisia was staged to promote 'Westren values' to that region then you're living in a world of your own. Tunisia has minimum cultural influence on the region and it's quite small to its own the surroundings-culturally and politically wise. It may somewhat affect Alegeria where they share much in common but nothing further.. not even Libya can be influenced by a West-inclined Tunisia. Tunisia was always pro-west since its independence..that never had any influence on Libya's rather conservative people. Morocco on the other hand can't be compared to any countries there..they have their own distinctive and very strong culture, they are quite different and would never be influenced by any pro-west values coming from Tunisia..not in a million years. I have been to all these countries, including Morocco..I know exactly what I'm talking about, I don't recite rubbish by an idiot like Hekal as to appear as to know something about those countries, it's quite obvious you don't.
Oil and Peace with isreal is what motivates the US in any decision making in the region and not simply because it needs Oil..actually America can make do without Arab oil altogther if they want to, it's all about cntrol..they need to control Europe and Asia[mainly Japan and to some extent China] and to have such control over the world they need to have full control and cooperation of the most oil-producing countries. Since Tunisia[and Mauritania] have little to do with those issues, the Americans are just observers here and just let France take care of it[if they can] if they can't like what's happening now, they are not the least bit bothered.
If you wanna talk strategically, when it comes to the US it's all about military, servicing, proximity to their bases and Tunisia is perhaps the least important to them.. the proximity to Europe means zilch to the US, close to Sicily? do you have any Idea how many NATO bases the US has in Sicily and entire Italy? look it up.. they don't need Tunisia, not by the least bit. Stop believing Hekal, he's a big fat liar and reciting his rubbbish makes anyone looks quite naive and dumn..especially to those who really know what's happening in the world and believe you me, it has nothing to do with Hekal's advisory book of horseshit!