July 28th, 2008 by Adam

Frank Smyth at The Hill’s Congress Blog, writes about the trip to Tunisia taken earlier this month by Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN). According to a report by Tunisia’s state news agency, McCollum, co-Chair of the bipartisan Tunisia Caucus, told the nation’s foreign minister that, “Tunisia holds a strategic position between Europe, Africa and the Middle East and it represents the voice of moderation and wisdom in the world, a voice we must listen to.” Smyth criticizes McCollum and the Caucus for not bringing up the human rights record of Tunisian President Ben Ali, who he refers to as “…a dictator who has monopolized power for no less than 21 years.”

To read more about the human rights situation in Tunisia under the nation’s “moderate” leader, click here.

Posted in Human Rights, Tunisia, US foreign policy |