ID: 82077
Date: 2006-10-17 06:41:00
Origin: 06TUNIS2570
Source: Embassy Tunis
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Dunno: 06TUNIS2565
Destination: VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHTU #2570 2900641
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 170641Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2039
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 002570
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS) AND NEA/IPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2016
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, TS
SUBJECT: SUHA ARAFAT ACQUIRES TUNISIAN NATIONALITY
REF: TUNIS 2565
Classified By: CDA David Ballard for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (SBU) The Government of Tunisia's Official Journal of September 26 published a notice that Suha Arafat, wife of the late Palestinian Authority president, and her 11-year old daughter Zahwa had acquired Tunisian nationality. Mrs.
Arafat and her daughter have been living in Tunisia since the 2004 death of Yasser Arafat, and Zahwa Arafat attends the American Cooperative School of Tunisia. Suha Arafat's presence in Tunisia long predates that, however. She had been a resident of Tunisia prior to her marriage, and, after residing in the Palestinian Territories from 1996-98, she returned in 1998, alternating between residences in France and Tunisia.
2. (SBU) The above news item has been picked up by various media outlets, including Reuters. Other recent wire reports on Mrs. Arafat, reporting her alleged marriage to Belhassen Trabelsi, the brother-in-law of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, are false, however, and Mrs. Arafat has been quite vocal in denying them in the press.
3. (C) Comment: We remain puzzled as to why Mrs. Arafat would want Tunisian citizenship, and why now, since she already enjoyed the privilege of a Tunisian diplomatic passport, and we doubt that she was eager to exercise her right to vote in Tunisia or become a member of the Tunisian National Assembly. The only other tangible benefit of citizenship is that Tunisian law forbids foreigners to own agricultural land -- and Mrs. Arafat is not known to be an aspiring farmer. One possible motivation is that under Tunisian law, foreign participation in a totally non-exporting service industry cannot exceed 50 percent.
Several months ago, Mrs. Arafat set up one such company -- to build an international school in Tunis. Tunisian citizenship will allow her to control this company. As for what was in such a move for the GOT, Post suspects that a continuing desire on the part of the government to market itself as closely tied to the Palestinian people played a role. The GOT probably feels the need for some Palestinian "cover" during this time when newspapers are full of stories on the government's campaign against the hijab (reftel). In addition, Mrs. Arafat is said to be good friends with the First Lady, Leila Ben Ali. End Comment.
BALLARD
شاب أردني عمري 15 سنة أحب كل جديد في عالم الانترنت من مواقع وبرامج واحب التدوين ودائما ابحث عن الجديد لتطوير مهاراتي في مختلف الميادين التي تعجبني لكي انقل معرفتي وتجاربي لآخرين حتى يستفيدوا بقدر ما استفدت انا ;)
محول الأكوادإخفاء محول الأكواد الإبتساماتإخفاء الإبتسامات