The New Dark Age

19 January, 2011 — creative-i.info

Moody’s Downgrades Tunisia Amid Upheaval
Wall Street Journal
By LEILA HATOUM DUBAI—Moody’s Investor Service Inc. downgraded Tunisia’s sovereign rating by one notch Wednesday and changed the country’s outlook to …
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704590704576091222603717338.html

Tunisia PM tries to save cabinet
Aljazeera.net
A day after four opposition ministers resigned or suspended their posts
Mohamed Ghannouchi, the Tunisian prime minister, has called for a meeting
to try to …
english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/2011119656347895.html

Tunisia crisis: live updates
The Guardian (blog)
Arab leaders have gathered in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for a
trade summit – their first meeting since last week’s uprising in Tunisia.
…
www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/jan/19/tunisia-crisis-live-updates

Obama, Egypt’s Mubarak discuss Tunisia, Lebanon
Reuters
Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January
14 after the worst unrest of his two decades in power. …
www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70I07N20110119

Islamist Leader Seeks Return to Tunisia
Wall Street Journal
By DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS PARIS—The leader in exile of Tunisia’s Islamic
movement Ennahdha wants to return home but is waiting for the new
government to …
asia.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954004576090180234388522.html

For the Arab world, the revolution will be televised, on Al Jazeera
Los Angeles Times
“Al Jazeera has really helped me understand what is going on in Tunisia,”
said Ahmed Sanad, who was sitting in a Cairo cafe watching the network’s
“Behind …
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-tunisia-al-jazeera-20110119,0,3896531.story

Struggling Tunisia unity cabinet to meet
Reuters Africa
By Christian Lowe TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s national unity cabinet was
due to hold its first meeting on Wednesday, with the caretaker prime
minister under …
af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE70C1VI20110119

Will Tunisia’s unrest have a ripple effect?
CNN International
By Matt Smith, CNN (CNN) — The ouster of Tunisia’s longtime ruler has cast
a shadow over the surrounding region, but few analysts were willing to
predict …
edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/18/tunisia.protests.region/

Feature: Tunisia still plagued by unrest after interim government unveiled
Xinhua
Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi Monday went on state TV to
announce a list of an interim national unity government, with foreign,
interior and …
news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-01/19/c_13696737.htm

Looted home of Tunisia’s ex-president’s brother-in-law
BBC News
Tensions are running high in Tunisia where protests continue against the
newly formed unity government. Protesters want the RCD (Constitutional
Democratic …
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12222898

The French are pessimistic yet reproduce like rabbits
France24
Also: Tunisia’s former Fist Lady, Madame Ben Ali, is being mocked in Le
Canard Enchainé for fleeing the country with a stack of gold… …
www.france24.com/en/20110119-the-french-are-pessimistic-yet-reproduce-like-rabbits-tunisia-ben-ali-gold-mich%C3%A8le-alliot-marie-birthrate

Amid crisis and violence, Tunisian Jews safe but guarded
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
By Larry Luxner · January 18, 2011 WASHINGTON (JTA) — The violence
roiling Tunisia hasn’t put the country’s 1500 or so Jews in serious
jeopardy, …
www.jta.org/news/article/2011/01/18/2742610/amid-crisis-and-violence-tunisian-jews-safe-but-guarded

S&P Puts Tunisia On Watch For Cut On Political Upheaval
Wall Street Journal
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services put its foreign-currency ratings on
Tunisia on watch for downgrade, saying the North African country’s
political …
online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110118-713356.html

Netanyahu: Tunisia coup shows why Palestinian state is a bad idea
Israel Today
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week said the violent
overthrow of Tunisia’s government effectively highlights why it is a bad
idea to rush …
www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/22620/Default.aspx

Russians leaving Tunisia
The Voice of Russia
Russians, who wished to leave Tunisia have returned home. On Tuesday
evening, an airplane with the Nouvelair airlines, en route from Monastir,
landed in the …
english.ruvr.ru/2011/01/19/40262428.html

Three ministers quit Tunisian government
ABC Online
Tunisia’s new government has been hit by at least three resignations, just
a day after it was formed. Three ministers belonging to Tunisia’s main
trade …
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/19/3115991.htm

Sudan’s Turabi held after ‘Tunisia’ revolt warning
AFP
In the interview with AFP hours before his arrest, Turabi had said a
Tunisia-style revolt, which last week ousted veteran strongman Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali, …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ivWRGDc76bSf7rg6SqJiDwlfY_KA?docId=CNG.364de1da251ab2f76e561bcf4a3dce18.cd1

UN chief renews concern over Tunisia’s growing violence
Focus News
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon Tuesday renewed his concern about the
increased violence in Tunisia, urging all efforts be made “to restore peace
and …
www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n239867

European tourists pulled out of Tunisia
Independent
Thomas Cook, one of Europe’s biggest tour operators, announced Friday it
was pulling out more than 4000 tourists from Tunisia as the political
unrest in the …
www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/european-tourists-pulled-out-of-tunisia-2188301.html

Several European operators cancel Tunisia tours for next month amid safety …
The Canadian Press
BERLIN — Several European tour operators said Tuesday they have cancelled
trips to Tunisia through mid-February due to safety concerns, sending tens
of …
www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hWvK4uO7dX0x8QhveFtFMy25VGPw?docId=5683117

Tunisia as a tipping point
Los Angeles Times
Let’s back democracy in Tunisia — and perhaps prove George W. Bush right
about America’s calling. Is the Arab world ready for democracy? …
www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-tunisia-20110119,0,3217099.story

Tunisia Update
NPR
by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson The new coalition government in Tunisia is in
turmoil. The unity government took over after the president of the North
African …
www.npr.org/2011/01/19/133043123/Tunisia-Update

Africa: Tunisia’s Changing Times
AllAfrica.com
December 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi a 26-year-old unemployed Tunisian
graduate set himself ablaze in a public square out of frustration. …
allafrica.com/stories/201101190365.html

The Cable: Briefing Skipper: Hu, Tunisia, Sudan, Baby Doc, Exiled in Kuwait/
Foreign Policy
Undersecretary for Management Pat Kennedy has approved the authorized
departure of dependents from Tunisia. The first plane left Tunis for Rabat
Tuesday and …
thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/18/briefing_skipper_hu_tunisia_sudan_baby_doc_exiled_in_kuwait

Jet2 Cancels Summer Tunisia Flights
Fly | Global Music Culture
Budget airline Jet2 has canceled all their summer flights to Tunisia due to
civil unrest in the country. The situation has been so bad that many people
have …
www.fly.co.uk/news/jet2-cancels-summer-tunisia-flights-1983452.html

Kiwi couple in Tunisia ducked as bullets flew
Stuff.co.nz
A New Zealand couple caught in unrest in Tunisia were forced to duck for
cover as violence in their street ended in a hail of bullets on Sunday. …
www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4557604/Couple-ducked-as-bullets-flew

Mohamed ElBaradei warns of ‘Tunisia-style explosion’ in Egypt
The Guardian
The Egyptian dissident Mohamed ElBaradei has warned of a “Tunisia-style
explosion” in his country as self-immolation protests proliferated and …
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/18/mohamed-elbaradei-tunisia-egypt

Tunisia, Lebanon debt insurance costs rise sharply-Markit
Reuters Africa
LONDON Jan 19 (Reuters) – The cost of insuring the debt of Tunisia and
Lebanon against restructuring or default rose sharply on Wednesday due to
political …
af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE70I0JV20110119

ANALYSIS-Tunisia revolt makes Islamist threat ring hollow
Reuters Africa
By Tom Pfeiffer CAIRO, Jan 19 (Reuters) – The absence of Islamist slogans
from Tunisia’s pro-democracy revolt punches a hole in the argument of many
Arab …
af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE70H14620110119

Arab League warns: Tunisia unrest sparked by issues close to home
Ha’aretz
The Arab League responded to the renewed unrest by calling for Tunisia’s
political forces and other groups to keep the peace and lead the North
African …
www.haaretz.com/news/international/arab-league-warns-tunisia-unrest-sparked-by-issues-close-to-home-1.337920

Tunisia crisis: live updates | News | guardian.co.uk
By Matthew Weaver, Paul Owen
Follow the latest development from Tunisia as at least four ministers
resign from the new unity government amid continuing signs that protests
are spreading in the Arab world.
www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/jan/18/tunisia-crisis-live-updates

Anthony Shadid in Beirut: Tunisia Has “Electrified People Across …
By mail@democracynow.org (Democracy Now!)
We speak with journalist Anthony Shadid, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner,
who is in Beirut where the government collapsed last week. Tunisia has
“electrified people across the Arab world,” Shadid says, “mainly for that
prospect of change …
www.democracynow.org/2011/1/18/anthony_shadid_in_beirut_tunisia_has

JURIST – Paper Chase: UN SG urges Tunisia leaders to restore rule …
By Ashley Hileman
[JURIST] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon [official website] on Monday
urged government leaders in Tunisia to initiate dialogue between all sides
in an attempt to restore rule of law in the country following the ousting
of its president …
jurist.org/paperchase/2011/01/un-secretary-general-calls-on-leaders-in-tunisia-to-restore-rule-of-law.php

Tunisia: A Digitally-Driven, Leaderless Revolution
By DK Matai
Are Wikileaks and Twitter to blame for the current chaos?
www.businessinsider.com/tunisia-a-digitally-driven-leaderless-revolution-2011-1

After Tunisia, ‘electrified’ Arab world sets sights on brewing …
By Daniel Tencer
In a sign that an “electrified” Arab world has been inspired by the events
in Tunisia to rise up against their governments, opposition leaders in
Egypt have called for an open revolt in the country on January 25. …
www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/electrified-arab-world-revolt-egypt/

Michael Totten “ Tunisia’s Rationalist Approach to Islam
By Michael J. Totten
Tunisia is ahead of its fellow Arab nations for a number of reasons. Its
broad and well-educated middle class, its more or less free market economy,
its thoroughly Mediterranean identity, and its Western orientation set it
apart from …
pajamasmedia.com/michaeltotten/2011/01/19/tunisia%E2%80%99s-rationalist-approach-to-islam/

Tunisia | Middle East | Riots | Arab Democracy | Hassan al-Turabi
By News Desk
Sudan has arrested Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi, who spoke
of planning street protests similar to those in Tunisia.
www.globalpost.com/dispatch/africa/110118/sudan-tunisia-hassan-turabi-protest

Language Log “ More on linguistic politics in Tunisia
By Mark Liberman
Lameen Souag has posted a detailed analysis of “the language being used by
the newly significant figures jockeying for power” in Tunisia (”Language
Use in Tunisian Politics”, Jabal al-Lughat, 1/17/2011). …
languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2911

Juan Cole: Tunisia Uprising “Spearheaded by Labor Movements, by …
By Juan
One thing to keep in mind is that Tunisia is not an oil state. And it
suffered from a kind of nepotism that was extreme. I mean, the U.S. leaked
cables from WikiLeaks suggest that 50 percent of the economic elite of that
country was …
www.juancole.com/2011/01/juan-cole-tunisia-uprising-spearheaded-by-labor-movements-by-internet-activists-by-rural-workers-it%E2%80%99s-a-populist-revolution-democracy-now.html

Tunisia: Where was the British media when protestors were being …
By Luke Bozier
Luke Bozier asks why it took the UK media so long to report on the
revolution in Tunisia, and why is the focus has been on British tourists,
not the situation.
www.leftfootforward.org/2011/01/tunisia-uprising/

Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution: A Harbinger of Future Uprisings …
By James Phillips
The popular uprising in Tunisia that overthrew the authoritarian regime of
Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali has created tremendous uncertainty in the North
African Arab country and raised expectations that political instability
could also engulf …
blog.heritage.org/2011/01/18/tunisia%E2%80%99s-jasmine-revolution-a-harbinger-of-future-uprisings/

Tunisia and the region – Blog – The Arabist
By Issandr El Amrani
The elation felt across the Arab world over the Tunisian uprising is deep
and palpable. It is not simply that, like most people, Arabs are pleased to
see a long-repressed people finally have a shot at gaining their freedom.
…
www.arabist.net/blog/2011/1/18/tunisia-and-the-region.html

News Desk: The Crisis in a Nutshell: Turnover in Tunisia : The New …
By Samantha Henig
Online version of the weekly magazine, with current articles, cartoons,
blogs, audio, video, slide shows, an archive of articles and abstracts back
to 1925.
www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/01/the-crisis-in-a-nutshell-tunisia.html

Tunisia Riots: U.S. Evacuates Citizens From Country | News One
By NewsOne Staff
U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Tuesday that his
country is evacuating some of its citizens from Tunisia, which is
undergoing a major political change.
newsone.com/nation/newsonestaff2/tunisia-u-s-evacuates-citizens-from-tunisia/

Tunisia: Tullock’s Model Fits, David Henderson | EconLog | Library …
By David Henderson
The interesting thing is how well this fits the spirit and letter of
Tullock’s article. Revolutions, noted Tullock, are commonly conducted by
insiders against other insiders. That’s true of the Tunisian revolution.
And 40 years ago, …
econlog.econlib.org/archives/2011/01/tunisia_tullock.html

Tunisian president arrives in Saudi after mass uprising – CNN.com
The president of Tunisia landed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, a day after he
fled massive demonstrations calling for his ouster in the northern African
…
www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/15/tunisia.protests/index.html?hpt=T2

Deadly riots engulf Tunisia as interim leader sworn in – World …
Looting, deadly prison riots and street chaos engulfed Tunisia on Saturday,
a day after mass protests forced its strongman to flee. A new interim
president …
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41088312/ns/world_news-mideast/n_africa/

Tunisian ministers quit; police break up protest – Yahoo! News
At least four opposition ministers quit Tunisia’s day-old unity government
Tuesday, aligning themselves with demonstrators who insist democratic
change is …
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110118/ap_on_re_af/af_tunisia

Tunisia riots: President’s wife drove a nation on the streets to …
The former hairdresser has been dubbed the Imelda Marcos of the Arab world
because of her love of wealthy trappings.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347626/Tunisia-riots-Presidents-wife-drove-nation-streets-start-revolution.html

Tunisia:Stranded British Tourists Criticise Complaints Tour …
British tourists stranded in Tunisia have hit out at fellow travellers who
have complained of ”over-reaction” from tour operators at bringing them
home.
news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/TunisiaStranded-British-Tourists-Criticise-Complaints-Tour-Operators-Over-Reacted-With-Evacuation/Article/201101315896206?f=rss