Tunisia: People Power Succeeds Without Western Backing

[marmar]

via CommonDreams:



Published on Saturday, January 15, 2011 by the Inter Press Service
Tunisia: People Power Succeeds Without Western Backing

by Emad Mekay


CAIRO - These are scenes Western powers would have loved to see in Iran - thousands of young people braving live bullets and forcing an autocratic ruler out of the country. But it is in the North African nation Tunisia where an uprising forced the Western-backed autocratic President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country.

Western powers remain incredulous. France, the real power broker in the Franco North African nation, was giving Ben Ali tacit support until an hour before he fled Friday.

The French Foreign Ministry said it "backs" the measures announced by Ben Ali by way of overtures to the protestors, but asked for more freedoms. In effect France ignored the movement's demand for Ben Ali to go, and addressed Ben Ali as the legitimate leader.

The United States was clearly far more busy with the collapse of the government in Lebanon, a country critical to the main U.S. ally in the region, Israel, after the Lebanese opposition withdrew their minister from the coalition government. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/01/15-0

[azurnoir]

1. It has been almost amazing that despite the M$M widely reporting this

that most 'Western' governments have been mum

[dipsydoodle]

2. Most , if not all , Western powers

are more than likely currently considering their own selfish needs rather than those of the Tunisian people.

[Demeter]

3. I'm Sure This Wasn't The PLAN

Too bad, Corporate bankster MFs!

[DCKit]

4. Thankfully, we're too busy in Iraq and Afghanistan to support repressive dictators.

The "eye of Sauron" is looking elsewhere.

[Matilda]

5. It's interesting to speculate how things could change for the better

if only western countries would do what's right and just instead of what's in their own interests. We continually
get it so wrong.

I know -- pigs might fly.