Last Call of the Day for Tunisia

Canada willing to cooperate on Ben Ali asset freeze

"The Canadian government is willing to enact a freeze of the assets belonging to ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family in Canada.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade indicated Tuesday there are several ways that assets could be frozen, including through the United Nations or at the request of a foreign government.

“Our government is prepared to work with the UN or the government of Tunisia to apply such a freeze,” said Pierre Floréa, spokesperson for the department, in an email. “We will use all tools at our disposal to address this situation, in cooperation with the international community.”

Floréa reiterated that the Canadian government is “troubled” by reports that Ben Ali and other former government members may be weighing coming to Canada.

“Members of the Ben Ali family and elements of the former government who may be responsible for corruption or other criminal acts are not welcome in Canada,” he said."

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"Skander Ben Abdallah, a Montreal university professor and environmental consultant, has launched a petition demanding Imed Sassi, the Tunisian consul in Montreal, resign.

Though the Canadian government hasn’t been notified of the end of function of Tunisian diplomats since the fall of the regime, Ben Abdallah said Sassi should do it of his own volition.

Sassi has been a longstanding member of Ben Ali’s RCD party, Ben Abdallah said, and has praised and defended Ben Ali ever since his appointment here in 2006.

“He is a symbol of RCD, of an authoritarian regime,” Ben Abdallah declared. “So he must leave. We don’t want any more RCD (members) to represent us here in Montreal.”"

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"Tunisian authorities have already arrested several dozen Ben Ali family members who didn’t flee the country.

Canada’s Department of Justice, citing the confidential nature of state-to-state communications, would not confirm or deny an extradition request for the Ben Ali relatives who landed in Montreal."

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"Canada doesn’t have an extradition treaty with Tunisia, but both countries are parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption, which has extradition provisions."

Tunisia is a party to the UN Convention Against Corruption. Say wot!! There are just so many errors and internal contradictions in that statement.

Tens of thousands protest in Lebanon as Hezbollah ally asked to form gov't

"In Lebanon, masses took to the streets to protest the decision to have a Hezbollah-backed politician form a new Lebanese government."

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"The thousands who took to the streets burned pictures of Mikati, threw stones at army and police officers and attacked Al Jazeera crews, as they consider the TV station a proxy of Hezbollah."

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"...tens of thousands of March 14 alliance supporters taking to the streets of Beirut and Tripoli to protest what they described as the Iranian and Syrian takeover of Lebanon.

Protesters clashed with the Lebanese army forces and nearly 30 people reportedly suffered injuries. The demonstrators called on the international tribunal investigating the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, father of the outgoing premier, to remain steadfast in its task until the truth emerges.

The Hague-based panel's investigation provided the spark for the latest political drama in Lebanon, with Hezbollah fearing the tribunal would finger senior members of its organization for being behind the February 2005 blast that killed Rafik Hariri. The group demanded that Saad Hariri reject the panel's conclusions and end government funding for its work.

The outgoing prime minister refused and mediation efforts launched by Syria and Saudi Arabia failed as well, resulting in the resignation of 11 Hezbollah-backed ministers from the cabinet and bringing the Lebanese government down."

Wow! The Middle East is on fire. I hope that ashes will be all that is left, and from this will arise a Phoenix heralding a better future. In any case, the old guard must be shaking in their boots, all the way to Tehran.