LIve in TWitter : #tunisie (french and arabic)
and LE MONDE (French) :
http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/01/14/suivez-en-direct-la-situation-en-tunisie_1465727_3212.html
and LE GUARDIAN (English)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks
Tunisia revolution: live update
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[image: Smoke rises from fire left after clashes between security forces and
demonstrators in Tunis] Smoke rises from fire left after clashes between
security forces and demonstrators in Tunis today beside a poster of Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali, the president. Photograph: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images

7.18pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-49>A
big question now, which some of you have raised in the comments below,
is
the repercussions of Ben Ali's overthrow around the region.

This is what the Associated Press says in its latest dispatch from Tunis:

The shakeup was certain to have repercussions in the Arab world and beyond
as a sign that even a leader as entrenched and powerful as Ben Ali could be
brought down by massive public outrage.

Commenter @clunie mentions Egypt, where Hosni Mubarak leads an autocratic
government that is unpopular among many sections of the population. Unrest
has been put down brutally.

And in his Financial Times blog
today<http://blogs.ft.com/rachmanblog/2011/01/ancien-regimes-in-the-middle-east/>,
the paper's chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman draws a
parallel with Egypt:

It is all strangely reminiscent of Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak is
now 82-years-old – and has not yet announced whether he will run for
re-election later this year. Will his attitude be affected by developments
in Tunisia?

He goes on:


The potential for unrest is not confined to North Africa. Saudi Arabia, the
only Arab country that is a member of the G20, also fits the profile. King
Abdullah is now in his eighties and is ailing. Despite its massive oil
wealth, the country also suffers from high youth unemployment.

7.00pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-48>The
opposition leader Najib Chebbi, one of Ben Ali's most outspoken
critics,
described the events as a "regime change". Reuters quoted him as saying to
I-Tele TV in France:

This is a crucial moment. There is a change of regime under way. Now it's
the succession. It must lead to profound reforms, to reform the law and let
the people choose.

6.55pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-47>To
@omarov and the pleas from others in the comments for more journalism
from north Africa, our excellent Paris correspondent Angelique Chrisafis is
in Tunis, has been on the streets today, and she is filing a report as we
speak. I've just spoken to our foreign desk, who say Angelique will stay in
Tunisia for the weekend at least.

6.46pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-46>The
reports that Ben Ali had arrived in Paris seem pretty easily
dismissed.
Tunisair's shortest flight time is around two and half hours, and the
reports that Ben Ali had left Tunis came only about an hour ago.

6.40pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-45>The
White House has issued a statement saying the US believes the Tunisian
people have the "right to choose their leaders" and will monitor the latest
developments there closely.

6.31pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-44>Some
more information on the new president. He is a long-term ally of the
former president, having joined the cabinet when Ben Ali assumed power in
1987. Ben Ali appointed him prime minister in 1999.

Ghannouchi has had a high profile role during the unrest of the past few
days, announcing the sacking of the interior minister earlier this week.
Ghannouchi also gave interviews to the international media defending
Tunisia's handling of the protests.

6.26pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-43>There
are conflicting reports about Ben Ali's whereabouts. The office of the
French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has said it has "no information" that he
had arrived in Paris. Reuters said:

Two officials at the French Foreign ministry said they did not know whether
he had arrived in the country and were still checking.

6.11pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-42>Meanwhile,
on the streets of Tunis, our correspondent Angelique Chrisafis
says police are still cracking down on demonstrators.

 [image: twitter]

Individual protestors still being dragged off by plain clothes police on
bourguiba ave #sidibouzid

6.04pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-41>Our
correspondent in Rome, John Hooper, reports that Italy's Adnkronos
news
agency says Ben Ali has arrived in Malta "under Libyan protection".

5.59pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-40>In
his television address, prime minister Mohamed Ghannouchi said he had
taken over from Ben Ali on an interim basis. This is what he said, according
to Reuters:

I vow that I will respect the constitution and implement the political,
economic and social reforms that have been announced ... in consultation
with all political sides including political parties and civil society.

5.57pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-39>Al-Jazeera's
reporter in Paris, Jacky Rowland, says it appears that the
prime minister has led an "internal coup". This is the same manner by which
Ben Ali came to power in 1987, overthrowing the sitting president, Habib
Bourguiba.

5.47pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-38>The
Tunisian prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, says in a TV address
that
president Ben Ali is "temporarily unable to exercise his duties", according
to Reuters. The prime minister says he is assuming control of the country,
according to reports on Twitter from others who are watching the address on
television.

5.36pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-37>The
Doha-based news network Al-Jazeera is reporting on its website that
president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has left the country and the army has
taken control.

5.29pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-36>The
position of the president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, appears
precarious.
It is not clear whether the order to take control of the airport came at the
instigation of the president or the military high command.

5.23pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-35>It
appears there are big developments afoot in Tunis. AFP is reporting
that
the military has taken over the airport, and Reuters says state television
has declared that a "major announcement" is to be made to the Tunisian
people "soon".

Air France has confirmed that the airspace around Tunis has been closed, and
it has suspended flights. (This is Matt Wells taking over from Paul Owen.)
 [image: Live blog: recap]

5.00pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-34>Events
in Tunisia are moving fast, so here is a summary of this evening's
main developments:

*• Tunisia's president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has fired his government
and called early elections for six months' time, following days of
rioting.*A national unity government involving a key opposition figure
is possible,
foreign minister Kamel Morjane has said.

*• A state of emergency has been declared in the country.*

*• Twelve people were killed in overnight clashes between demonstrators and
police.* There are reports Tunis airport has been surrounded by the military
and Tunisian airspace closed.

*• The UK Foreign Office is advising against travel to the country.* A
number of tour operators have suspended flights and are making plans to
evacuate holidaymakers.

My colleague Angelique Chrisafis will be filing from Tunisia soon; you will
be able to find her story here along with the rest of the Guardian's
coverage of this situation <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/tunisia>.

4.54pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-33>Reuters
news agency has just sent the following:

MILITARY SURROUNDING TUNIS AIRPORT - AIRPORT OFFICIAL

4.41pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-32>Jonathan
Rugman of Channel 4 News has tweeted this:

Afp reporting Tunis airport and airspace closed by army.less than a minute
ago <http://twitter.com/jrug/status/25955226884247553> via Twitter for
BlackBerry® <http://blackberry.com/twitter> <http://twitter.com/jrug>*Jonathan
Rugman <http://twitter.com/jrug>*
jrug

******

4.34pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-31>Zine
El Abidine Ben Ali has dominated political life in Tunisia and
sidelined rivals since he seized power in 1987, declaring Habib Bourguiba,
the country's independence leader, medically unfit to remain president. The
Economist reports <http://www.economist.com/node/17902933> that Ben Ali then
"turned Tunisia into a police state known for its efficiency. Occasional
worries about authoritarian tendencies in more relaxed North African states
such as Morocco were frequently referred to as 'Ben-Alisation'."

The magazine adds:

Mr Ben Ali has faced protests before, but never on this scale. For the first
time since he came to power, the ubiquitous presidential portraits that
adorn many buildings have been ripped down and burned, while protesters
chant colourful insults aimed at Mr Ben Ali and his acquisitive wife, Leila
Trabelsi.

4.30pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-30>More
from Reuters on foreign minister Kamel Morjane's suggestion a national
unity government could be formed. Asked about forming a coalition government
that included opposition leaders such as Najib Chebbi, he said:

I think that is feasible and I think it would be entirely normal.

Chebbi is one of Ben Ali's most outspoken internal opponents and the man
western diplomats view as the most credible opposition figure in the
opposition. He said the president had done the right thing
yesterday<http://www.topix.net/content/csm/2011/01/tunisian-president-vows-to-step-down-but-when>
:

But what remains [to be seen] is how will this be carried out and I ask that
a coalition government be created.

4.25pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-29>Reuters
has news of the death toll so far from the protests:

Medical sources and a witness said 12 more people were killed in overnight
clashes in the capital and the northeastern town of Ras Jebel.

Before the latest deaths emerged, the official death toll in almost a month
of violence was 23, while the Paris-based International Federation for Human
Rights said it had a list of at least 66 people killed.

The report continues with an account of events in the capital today:

On Friday, state television flashed the announcement: "The president has
decided to dismiss the government and to hold legislative elections within
six months." It gave no details.

But protests continued in the capital and other cities on Friday. Around
8,000 people rallied outside the interior ministry in central Tunis,
chanting "Ben Ali, leave!" and "Ben Ali, assassin!"

After police fired teargas and wielded their truncheons, crowds of youths
retreated a little way from the building and started throwing stones at the
police, who responded with more tear gas grenades. Reporters also heard
gunfire nearby.

For the Tunis protesters, Ben Ali's promise to quit and cut essential food
prices was not enough. "We don't want bread or anything else, we just want
him to leave," they chanted. "After that we will eat whatever we have to."

The UGTT trade union confederation had called for a general strike, which
analysts said would test of whether the president had managed to calm public
anger with his speech.

4.22pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-28>My
colleague Ian Black, the Guardian's Middle East editor, sends
this video from
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1560374684531&oid=187951941230325&comments>.
[image: Live blog: substitution]

4.20pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-27>
*Paul Owen* here, taking over from Mark Tran.

A British holidaymaker who has returned from Tunisia has been telling BBC
News about her experience of the protests: "It was not aimed at us. It was
frightening but you felt safe in the hotels." She said a French journalist
had been shot in the leg by the police.

The BBC is reporting a 5pm-7am curfew, with no gatherings of three people or
more allowed. Unofficial reports are that five people have been killed
today.

The BBC's correspondent in Tunisia says young people protesting will not be
placated by promises of change in years to come: "they want change now."

4.14pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-26>State
television reports that firearms will be used if orders from the
security forces are not obeyed.

4.11pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-25>
*Tunisia has declared a state of emergency, reports the AFP news agency.*

4.10pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-24>Holiday
operator Thomas
Cook is evacuating<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/14/tunisia-thomas-cook-evacuates-britons?intcmp=239>around
1,800 British and Irish tourists and 2,000 Germans from Tunisia,
following advice from the Foreign
Office<http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/tunisia/>not
to travel to Tunisia unless it is essential. [image:
Live blog: recap]

4.00pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-23>Events
have been moving fast in Tunisia and here is a summary of key
developments today:

**

*• Police have been firing tear gas and beating up protesters outside the
interior ministry in Tunis.*

*• 12 people have been reported dead after yesterday's demonstrations.*

*• President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has dismissed his entire government and
has said there will be early elections in six months.*

*• A unity government is possible, foreign minister Kamel Morjane has said.
*

3.52pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-22>Sam,
a Tunisian who does not wish to give his full name, writes a
powerful piece on Comment is
free<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/13/tunisia-youth-revolution?intcmp=239>on
the sense of liberation people feel after years of living under the
absolute rule of Ben Ali:

And for the first time, we see the opportunity to rebel, to take revenge on
the "royal" family who has taken everything, to overturn the established
order that has accompanied our youth. An educated youth, which is tired and
ready to sacrifice all the symbols of the former autocratic Tunisia with a
new revolution: the Jasmin Revolution – the true one.

3.51pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-21>If
you can read French, you can follow Le
Monde's live blog of the crisis in Tunisia
here<http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/01/14/suivez-en-direct-la-situation-en-tunisie_1465727_3212.html#ens_id=1245377>
.

3.44pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-20>My
colleague Peter
Walker has filed a news story on the
situation<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/14/tunisian-president-dismisses-government-violence>.
His story begins:

 [image: Peter Walker]

Tunisia's president has dismissed his entire government and is calling early
legislative elections, his spokesman announced today, after days of bloody
clashes between security forces and protesters.

The state news agency said president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali would call
fresh legislative elections in six months.

The news came after riot police fired teargas at a peaceful demonstration
and gunshots were heard in central Tunis, where thousands of people had
gathered to demand Ben Ali's immediate resignation.

3.42pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-19>Here
is a
link to follow live postings on Facebook about the situation from people on
the Tunisian side<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#%21/pages/Anonymous-News-Network/114504038619787>.
(Thanks to yaramo in the comments.)

3.41pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-18>The
announcement from Ben Ali that elections would be held in six months
is
a big concession since last night when he said he would leave leave office
at the end of his term in 2014. But will demonstrators be satisfied with
that? Today they were demanding his immediate departure.

3.37pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-17>Warning:
This
is dramatic footage of a protester lying on the ground after apparently
being shot by snipers<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLCui_UlEwQ&feature=player_embedded>.
The video is dated yesterday.

It is reminiscent of the video of Neda
Agha-Soltan<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Neda_Agha-Soltan>during
the protests in Iran.

3.33pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-16>My
colleagues on the Guardian video desk have sent this video of
Tunisians
protesting against Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the president. To recap, they
are calling on him to go immediately, despite his pledge not to seek
re-election in 2014.

******

3.32pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-15>Mohamed
Abdel Samad (theeproducer) tweets:

@Dima_Khatib <http://twitter.com/Dima_Khatib> my fear is the fate of the
Animal Farm, get rid of 1 thief to replace him with 10 more"less than a
minute ago <http://twitter.com/theeproducer/status/25906579840696320>
via Twitter
for BlackBerry® <http://blackberry.com/twitter><http://twitter.com/theeproducer>
*Mohamed Abdel Samad <http://twitter.com/theeproducer>*
theeproducer

******

3.22pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-14>
*The Tunisian state news agency is also reporting that Ben Ali is calling
early legislative elections in six months.*

It looks like Ben Ali is trying desperately trying to keep himself from
being overwhelmed by the rush of events.

3.21pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-13>Amnesty
International has called on the Tunisian authorities to release or
charge two men arrested, after one of them gave media interviews about the
protests.

Here is Amnesty's statement:

Hamma Hammami, spokesperson for the banned Tunisian Workers' Communist party
(Parti Communiste des Ouvriers Tunisiens, PCOT) was arrested at his home in
Tunis on 12 January. Around 20 members of the presidential security unit are
reported to have detained him together with his colleague, Mohamed Mzem, a
lawyer, and Mounia Obaid, a friend who was later released. Hamma Hammami's
family believe he was arrested for speaking to journalists about the
protests in the country.

3.20pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-12>
*The Tunisian state news agency says Ben Ali is dismissing the government
amid rioting, AP reports*.

3.06pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-11>Euronews
has footage of protests from overnight. Some people turned out in
support of Ben Ali after his address to the nation.

****

2.56pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-10>Here
is an AP account of the latest clashes:

Tunisian police fired rounds of tear gas at thousands of protesters in the
capital Friday after some climbed atop the roof of the interior ministry, a
symbol of the iron-fisted government they want to oust. The demonstrators
were marching through Tunis to demand the resignation of the country's
autocratic leader, President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Many shouted "Ben Ali,
out!" and "Ben Ali, assassin!" Another poster read "We won't forget," a
reference to the rioters killed, many by police bullets.

Hundreds of police with shields and riot gear blocked the avenue Friday in
front of the interior ministry, where over the years there have been reports
of torture. The march was organised by Tunisia's only legal trade union,
which also went ahead with a symbolic two-hour strike. Plainclothes
policemen were seen kicking unarmed protesters and beating them with batons.

Reuters is reporting that 12 people were killed in overnight clashes in
Tunis and the northeastern town of Ras Jebel, citing two medical sources and
a witness. Ten of the victims were killed after clashes in the capital, two
sources from Charles Nicolle hospital told Reuters.

2.51pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-9>It
would be surprising if Arab leaders were not afraid of the Tunisian
example spreading. Reuters is reporting on protests in Jordan:

Food price protests sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East reached
Jordan on Friday, when hundreds of protesters chanted slogans against Prime
Minister Samir al-Rifai in the southern city of Karak. The peaceful protest
was held despite hastily announced government measures to curb commodity and
fuel prices. Similar demonstrations were held in three other towns and
cities across the country, witnesses said. "We are protesting the policies
of the government - high prices and repeated taxation that made the
Jordanian people revolt," Tawfiq al-Batoush, a former head of Karak
municipality, told Reuters at the protest outside Karak's Al Omari mosque.

2.48pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-8>
*Things seem to have taken a serious turn for the worse*. Angelique
Chrisafis is tweeting:

Gunshots are now ringing around us and in the other sidestreets around
interior ministry.

An earlier tweet from her:

Running battles amid extreme violence from police. Protestors being chased
onto rooftops. This is turning very, very bad.

This is very bad news for Ben Ali who must have been hoping that his
concessions announced yesterday would calm things down. Instead the
protesters seem to have been emboldened.
 [image: Live blog: Twitter]

2.42pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-7>Some
tweeters are lumping Ben Ali together with Hosni Mubarak of Egypt,
another long-time ruler in the Arab world. "Mubarak & Ben Ali united in
repression. Let the Arab street rise up in unison against the stupid Arab
regime," tweets
Hisham_G<http://twitter.com/#%21/Hisham_G/statuses/21627928706031616>
.

2.29pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-6>Reuters
says gunshots rang out as police fired teargas to disperse some
8,000 protesters outside the interior ministry in Tunis. The Associated
Press says tear gas was fired after demonstrators climbed on to the roof of
the building. Listen!<http://audioboo.fm/boos/254967-angelique-chrisafis-at-tunis-protests.mp3?source=embed>

2.18pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-5>Here
is an Audioboo featuring the Guardian's Angelique Chrisafis speaking
to
my colleague Peter Walker from outside the interior ministry in Tunis.

Thousands of demonstrators were chanting: "Bread, water, Ben Ali out."

2.08pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-4>A
recap of what led us here. The man who set off the chain of events
that
has shattered Tunisia's carefully constructed facade of stability is Mohamed
Bouazizi, a 26-year-old living in the provincial town of Sidi Bouzid, who
had a university degree but no work. To earn some money he took to selling
fruit and vegetables in the street without a licence. When the authorities
stopped him and confiscated his produce, he was so angry that he set himself
on fire and died. Writing about the episode last month, the Guardian's Brian
Whitaker said Tunisia's crisis reminded him of the fall of the Romanian
dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu.

So, what we are seeing, firstly, is the failure of a system constructed by
the regime over many years to prevent people from organising, communicating
and agitating. Secondly, we are seeing relatively large numbers of people
casting off their fear of the regime. Despite the very real risk of arrest
and torture, they are refusing to be intimidated. Finally, we are seeing the
breakdown of a long-standing devil's compact where, in return for submitting
to life under a dictatorship, people's economic and welfare needs are
supposedly taken care of by the state.

2.00pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-3>A
notable feature of this crisis has been the deafening silence from the
political class in France, Tunisia's former colonial power and its main
economic partner – a fact noted here by Le
Monde<http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2011/01/12/les-liens-entre-la-france-et-la-tunisie-ne-justifient-pas-le-silence_1464493_823448.html#ens_id=1245377>.
A north Africa expert I spoke to this week, Dr Claire Spencer, said France
was probably working behind the
scenes<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/12/tunisia-protest-spreads>to
put pressure on Ben Ali to make concessions. Now, perhaps sensing
which
way the political winds are blowing (not in his favour), the French are
beginning to speak up. Reuters has this:

France on Friday urged Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to deliver
on promises that it called a step in the right direction and called on him
to do his utmost to restore peace after deadly riots. "We urge an end to the
violence and the Tunisian president's commitments on this front have been
positively noted," foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said of Ben
Ali's promises to bow out as leader in 2014, allow free media and order
police to stop shooting protestors. "The steps the president announced go in
the right direction and we hope they will be implemented."

Spencer, from the Chatham House foreign affairs thinktank, made the point
that the existence of a large educated and skilled population plus coherent
demands from the unions showed that the opportunity for dialogue was there,
should the government take it. The big question, though, is whether the
regime can move fast enough to respond to demands for change. The evidence
from today is that Ben Ali's concessions may be too little, too late.
Tunisians want him out now, and not in three years' time.

1.28pm:<http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/blog/2011/jan/14/tunisia-wikileaks#block-2>Is
this the first WikiLeaks revolution, asks Elizabeth
Dickinson at Foreign
Policy<http://wikileaks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/13/wikileaks_and_the_tunisia_protests>.


As in the recent so-called "Twitter revolutions" in Moldova and Iran, there
was clearly lots wrong with Tunisia before Julian Assange ever got hold of
the diplomatic cables. Rather, WikiLeaks acted as a catalyst: both a trigger
and a tool for political outcry. Which is probably the best compliment one
could give the whistleblower site.

Ian Black, our Middle East specialist, wrote about the WikiLeaks cable in
question<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-tunisia-first-lady>in
December, quoting the US ambassador, Robert Godec:

"The problem is clear," wrote ambassador Robert Godec in July 2009, in a
secret dispatch released by Beirut's al-Akhbar newspaper. "Tunisia has been
ruled by the same president for 22 years. He has no successor. And, while
President Ben Ali deserves credit for continuing many of the progressive
policies of President Bourguiba, he and his regime have lost touch with the
Tunisian people. They tolerate no advice or criticism, whether domestic or
international. Increasingly, they rely on the police for control and focus
on preserving power."

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