This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011 [1].
In the two months that have followed the ousting of former Tunisian President Ben Ali by revolutionary protests [1], four United States (US) officials have visited Tunisia: Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, William Burns, the US under-secretary of state for political affairs, and Senators Joseph Lieberman and John McCaine. On the night of Wednesday 15 March, 2011, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in capital Tunis after a trip to Egypt.
In Egypt, the 25 January Revolution Youth Coalition refused an invitation [2] to meet with Clinton,”due to her negative stance towards the revolution during its inception and the approach of the US Administration towards the Middle East Region,” as the Coalition states [3]. The reaction to the visit of Hilary Clinton in Tunisia did not differ much from Egypt.
[4]Protests against Clinton's visit in Tunisian capital Tunis. Image by Emir Ben Ayed, copyright Demotix (17/03/11).
Indeed, on Wednesday and Thursday there were protests in Tunis against the visit. Protestors see Hilary Clinton's visit to Tunisia as the height of hypocrisy, considering that the US government was known to be an ally of Ben Ali's regime.
Bassem Bounenni writes [5]:
Une centaine de Tunisiens ont manifesté hier à Tunis pour dénoncer la prochaine visite de la secrétaire d'Etat américaine Hillary Clinton. “Clinton dégage”, “non à la présence américaine en Tunisie”, scandaient les manifestants près du ministère de l'Intérieur en brandissant des banderoles anti-américaines.
Kacem Jlidi says [6]:
Not just the visit and its unknown purpose but also a media blackout on the exact day of her visit were all enough reasons to push young Tunisians to step down to the street and demonstrate in Hbib Bourghiba Avenue (main street in the capital), Next to the American Embassy in Tunis and at Tunis Carthage airport. Demonstrations were held during these past 3 days (15-16 and 17th of March).
He also reports that the police used force against peaceful protestors:
Well, what started as peaceful manifestations ended with violent attack by the police! It was reported that the police attacked and arrested couple of protesters, it was also reported that dogs were used to frighten the protesters and signs lifted by about 30 demonstrators were destroyed by the police.
Anti-American protestors also claim that there is a hidden agenda behind the visit of Hillary Clinton. Twitter user Nizar Moalla (@NIZARMO) [7] asked the following question on March 17:
@NIZARMO [8]: penser vous que hillary clinton a visiter l'Egypte et Tunisie pour leur faciliter d'utiliser nos base aérien contre la Libye ??
Kais Sellami ( [9]@kaissellamy [10]) tweets on the same day:
@kaissellamy [11]: je crains Ke #clinton [12] est parmi nou pr negocier une base arriere en #Tunisie [13] pr attaquer la #libye [14] et de meme di coté de l’#egypte [15]
Sami Khalifa (@S_Khal) [16] tweets:
@S_khal [17]: Il faut dire a H Clinton qu'on veut notre democratie et pas celle qu'elle voudra pour nous #tunisie [18]
Freedomtunisia (@freedomtunisia) [19] tweets:
@freedomtunisia [20]: clinton cherche un nouveau dictateur pour la Tunisie ou pour l'Egypt Dégage … #sidibouzid [21] #feb17 [22] #jan25 [23]
On the night of Thursday March 17, Hilary Clinton appeared on a talk show on a private Tunisian network television station Nessma TV [24]. The talk show did not satisfy viewers who considered it as too shallow and not targeting the main issues.
Iadh Jomaa (@iadh65) [25] tweets:
@iadh65 [26]: #Tunisie [13] #Clinton [27] réponses plates à questions toutes aussi plates. […]
Kacem Jlidi writes [6]:
Throughout the one hour talk show, you could only notice the fake diplomatic big smiles of H. Clinton when speaking the words that she knows that we like to hear besides giving promises and asking to hear our demands so she could revise them and see what her government could give
He adds:
For those who followed the updates on twitter and facebook, you might’ve noticed that it was supposed that Clinton would speak to some Tunisian bloggers. Apparently the US embassy and Microsoft recommended to Nessma a list of bloggers that they know; also Nessma TV had already its favorite bloggers list.(…)Did they have to be strict in selecting people that they keep under control what questions to be asked? Some of the questions maybe like:
- How could Clinton explain the tear gas bombs and weapons and the live ammunition that were used against Tunisians and Egyptians AND were made in USA and Israel?
- How the American government is so hypocrite when supporting dictators and then talking about exporting their democracy
This post is part of our special coverage Tunisia Revolution 2011 [1].