If true, this would be good news.
According to Le Canard Enchaîné it was US generals who convinced their Tunisian counterparts to turn against Ben Ali. This allegedly is what led to his fleeing the country. The French diplomatic corps and secret service were caught completely off-guard.
“America took control of the situation.” This quote is attributed to Michèle Alliot-Marie, France’s Foreign Minister. According to Le Canard Enchaîné, she admitted in private last Monday that American generals spoke to their Tunisian counterparts and put pressure on them to turn on Ben Ali. It seems this is what sparked the Tunisian President’s sudden departure from the country. “We were in a fog of confusion the whole time,” Alliot-Marie allegedly confessed, admitting that France’s diplomatic corps and secret service were caught off guard. “Needless to say, the Americans did not keep us informed.”
