Tunisia: Reacting to wave of violent protests by Islamic fundamentalists, President Moncef Marzouki on Wednesday extended a state of emergency, which grants police special powers of intervention, until 1 February 2013, the official TAP news agency reported.
Comment: The security situation is deteriorating again in Tunisia. President Marzouki is using the same tactics that Ben Ali did to suppress and kill the Islamist opposition. US support of the overthrow of Ben Ali only achieved a delay in the continuing violent internal instability, interrupted by an election that brought the Islamist Ennahda party to power. Ben Ali got out alive, but Marzouki might not.
US diplomatic facilities in Tunisia need more protection.
Phi Beta Iota: We have no direct knowledge, but from public reporting there is clearly some form of kabuki theater playing out in the Middle East among the US extreme right, an inattentive or complicit incumbent Administration, and Israel as represented by Mossad. The lack of official clarity and integrity on Benghazi suggest that the narrative of the extreme right is winning. If US facilities in Tunisia are hit next, even if only a hit and run mortar attack, and/or a US person dies in Tunisia, the day before the US elections, this will solidify what appears to be growing momentum for a “win” by Romney and Republican control of the Senate. No one is talking about the probability of staggering digital electronic fraud by both of the competing parties — on balance we believe Republican fraud will beat Democratic fraud across the board. Karl Rove is on a roll.
