Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]

~~'''~~''Zine El Abidine Ben Ali~~''''''~~'' '''(born September 3, 1936) is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisian] political figure who was the second [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Tunisia President of Tunisia] from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Tunisia Prime Minister] in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba], who was declared incompetent. Ben Ali was subsequently reelected with enormous majorities, each time exceeding 90% of the vote; the final reelection was on 25 October 2009.~~'''~~

''Zine El Abidine Ben Ali''''' (born September 3, 1936) is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisian] political figure who was the second [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Tunisia President of Tunisia] from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Tunisia Prime Minister] in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba], who was declared incompetent. Ben Ali was subsequently reelected with enormous majorities, each time exceeding 90% of the vote; the final reelection was on 25 October 2009.

On 14 January 2011, following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution month of protests] against his rule, he was forced to flee to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia Saudi Arabia] along with his wife [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le%C3%AFla_Ben_Ali Leïla Ben Ali] and their three children. The interim Tunisian government asked for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol Interpol] to issue an international arrest warrant, charging him for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_laundering money laundering] and drug trafficking. A Tunisian court sentenced Ben Ali and his wife ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_absentia in absentia]'' to 35 years in prison on 20 June 2011 on charges of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewellery. In June 2012, a Tunisian court sentenced him ''in absentia'' to life imprisonment for inciting violence and murder.

~~==Education and Military service==~~

Ben Ali never completed secondary school, but was nevertheless awarded a training at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecole_Sp%C3%A9ciale_Militaire_de_Saint-Cyr Special Inter-service School] in Coëtquidan, France, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Applied_Artillery_%28France%29 Artillery School] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2lons-sur-Marne Châlons-sur-Marne], France, the Senior Intelligence School in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland Maryland], and the School for Anti-Aircraft Field Artillery in Texas. His professional military career began in 1964 as a Tunisian staff officer. During his time in military service, he established the Military Security Department and directed its operations for 10 years. He briefly served as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_attach%C3%A9 military attaché] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco Morocco] and Spain before being appointed General Director of National Security in 1977.

In 1980 he was appointed Ambassador to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Poland Poland], and served there for four years. Ben Ali subsequently served as Minister of State in charge of the interior before being appointed Interior Minister on 28 April 1986 then Prime Minister by President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba] in October 1987.

~~==Rise to power==~~

Ben Ali ascended to the office of President on 7 November 1987, after physicians attending to the former president filed an official medical report declaring Bourguiba medically incapacitated and unable to fulfill the duties of the presidency. The day of his accession to power was celebrated annually in Tunisia as New Era Day. Two of the names given to Ben Ali's rise to the presidency include "the medical coup d'état" and the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution Tunisian revolution]". Ben Ali favoured the latter. In conformity with Article 57 of the Tunisian Constitution, the peaceful transition occurred. The country had faced 10% inflation, external debt accounting for 46% of GDP and a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_service_ratio debt service ratio] of 21% of GDP.

In 1999 Fulvio Martini, former head of Italian military secret service [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SISMI SISMI], declared to a parliamentary committee that "In 1985–1987 we organized a kind of ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/golpe#Italian golpe]'' in Tunisia, putting president Ben Ali as head of state, replacing Burghiba (the Italian spelling of the name) who wanted to flee". Bourguiba, although a symbol of anti-colonial resistance, was considered incapable of leading his country any longer, and his reaction to the rising Islamic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrism integrism] was deemed "a bit too energetic" by Martini; Bourguiba's threat to execute the suspects might have generated strong negative responses in neighbouring countries. Acting under directives from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettino_Craxi Bettino Craxi], Italian Prime Minister, and foreign minister [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulio_Andreotti Giulio Andreotti], Martini claims to have brokered the accord that lead to the peaceful transition of powers.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettino_Craxi Bettino Craxi] had visited [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algiers Algiers] in November 1984, being warned by the president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadli_Benjedid Chadli Benjedid] that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algeria Algeria] was ready to invade that region of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisia] that was crossed by the pipeline towards [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy Italy], if Bourguiba was not able to guarantee the stability of his own country. Algeria was trying to diversify its foreign policy, feeling isolated by Spain and French President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Mitterrand François Mitterrand]'s accord with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco Morocco] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya Libya] over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad Chad]. For two years, according to Martini, Italian and Algerian secret services worked together in order, on one hand, to avoid the growing destabilisation of Tunisia spilling over into Algeria, and on the other hand to control pro-Palestinian activities in Italy. Finally, Ben Ali was singled out as possible replacement for Bourguiba: as chief of the Tunisian secret services and as Minister of the Interior, he had opposed plans to execute [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalists]. SISMI's action did not have the consent of [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ren%C3%A9_Imbot&action=edit&redlink=1 René Imbot], head of the French secret service, and the USA allegedly was not informed.

According to Martini, the SISMI did not have an operational role in Ben Ali's rise to power, but organised a political move to support politically and economically his new government, preventing Tunisia from falling into an open confrontation with fundamentalists, as happened in Algeria in the following years.

==Presidency==

===Politics===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
-'''''Zine El Abidine Ben Ali'''''''' '''(born September 3, 1936) is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisian] political figure who was the second [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Tunisia President of Tunisia] from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Tunisia Prime Minister] in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba], who was declared incompetent<sup>.</sup> Ben Ali was subsequently reelected with enormous majorities, each time exceeding 90% of the vote; the final reelection was on 25 October 2009.'''
+''Zine El Abidine Ben Ali''''' (born September 3, 1936) is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisian] political figure who was the second [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Tunisia President of Tunisia] from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Tunisia Prime Minister] in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba], who was declared incompetent<sup>.</sup> Ben Ali was subsequently reelected with enormous majorities, each time exceeding 90% of the vote; the final reelection was on 25 October 2009.
 On 14 January 2011, following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution month of protests] against his rule, he was forced to flee to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia Saudi Arabia] along with his wife [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le%C3%AFla_Ben_Ali Leïla Ben Ali] and their three children. The interim Tunisian government asked for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol Interpol] to issue an international arrest warrant, charging him for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_laundering money laundering] and drug trafficking. A Tunisian court sentenced Ben Ali and his wife ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_absentia in absentia]'' to 35 years in prison on 20 June 2011 on charges of theft and unlawful possession of cash and jewellery<sup>.</sup> In June 2012, a Tunisian court sentenced him ''in absentia'' to life imprisonment for inciting violence and murder.
-==Education and Military service==
-Ben Ali never completed secondary school, but was nevertheless awarded a training at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecole_Sp%C3%A9ciale_Militaire_de_Saint-Cyr Special Inter-service School] in Coëtquidan, France, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Applied_Artillery_%28France%29 Artillery School] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2lons-sur-Marne Châlons-sur-Marne], France, the Senior Intelligence School in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland Maryland], and the School for Anti-Aircraft Field Artillery in Texas. His professional military career began in 1964 as a Tunisian staff officer. During his time in military service, he established the Military Security Department and directed its operations for 10 years. He briefly served as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_attach%C3%A9 military attaché] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco Morocco] and Spain before being appointed General Director of National Security in 1977.
-In 1980 he was appointed Ambassador to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_Poland Poland], and served there for four years. Ben Ali subsequently served as Minister of State in charge of the interior before being appointed Interior Minister on 28 April 1986 then Prime Minister by President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba] in October 1987.
-==Rise to power==
-Ben Ali ascended to the office of President on 7 November 1987, after physicians attending to the former president filed an official medical report declaring Bourguiba medically incapacitated and unable to fulfill the duties of the presidency. The day of his accession to power was celebrated annually in Tunisia as New Era Day. Two of the names given to Ben Ali's rise to the presidency include "the medical coup d'état" and the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_revolution Tunisian revolution]". Ben Ali favoured the latter. In conformity with Article 57 of the Tunisian Constitution, the peaceful transition occurred. The country had faced 10% inflation, external debt accounting for 46% of GDP and a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_service_ratio debt service ratio] of 21% of GDP.
-In 1999 Fulvio Martini, former head of Italian military secret service [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SISMI SISMI], declared to a parliamentary committee that "In 1985–1987 we organized a kind of ''[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/golpe#Italian golpe]'' in Tunisia, putting president Ben Ali as head of state, replacing Burghiba (the Italian spelling of the name) who wanted to flee". Bourguiba, although a symbol of anti-colonial resistance, was considered incapable of leading his country any longer, and his reaction to the rising Islamic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrism integrism] was deemed "a bit too energetic" by Martini; Bourguiba's threat to execute the suspects might have generated strong negative responses in neighbouring countries. Acting under directives from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettino_Craxi Bettino Craxi], Italian Prime Minister, and foreign minister [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulio_Andreotti Giulio Andreotti], Martini claims to have brokered the accord that lead to the peaceful transition of powers.
-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettino_Craxi Bettino Craxi] had visited [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algiers Algiers] in November 1984, being warned by the president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadli_Benjedid Chadli Benjedid] that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algeria Algeria] was ready to invade that region of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia Tunisia] that was crossed by the pipeline towards [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy Italy], if Bourguiba was not able to guarantee the stability of his own country. Algeria was trying to diversify its foreign policy, feeling isolated by Spain and French President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Mitterrand François Mitterrand]'s accord with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco Morocco] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libya Libya] over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad Chad]. For two years, according to Martini, Italian and Algerian secret services worked together in order, on one hand, to avoid the growing destabilisation of Tunisia spilling over into Algeria, and on the other hand to control pro-Palestinian activities in Italy. Finally, Ben Ali was singled out as possible replacement for Bourguiba: as chief of the Tunisian secret services and as Minister of the Interior, he had opposed plans to execute [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalists]. SISMI's action did not have the consent of [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ren%C3%A9_Imbot&action=edit&redlink=1 René Imbot], head of the French secret service, and the USA allegedly was not informed.
-According to Martini, the SISMI did not have an operational role in Ben Ali's rise to power, but organised a political move to support politically and economically his new government, preventing Tunisia from falling into an open confrontation with fundamentalists, as happened in Algeria in the following years.
 ==Presidency==
 ===Politics===