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US, Tunisia plan closer defence ties
 Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, has called for strengthened military ties with Tunisia while prodding Tunisian leaders on the need for political reforms to ensure stability. Rumsfeld's visit to Tunis on Saturday was the first stop in a North African tour that will take him to Algeria and Morocco as well as Tunisia, all authoritarian Arab states that have been important US allies in the "war on terrorism". The US and Tunisia are discussing a "status of forces agreement" that would enable an expansion of US-Tunisian military exercises and other activities, Rumsfeld said. "We discussed the basis of the relationship," Rumsfeld said after talks with Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the Algerian president, and other senior Tunisian officials. Status of forces agreement typically establishes the rules governing US military presence in a host country by setting forth the legal rights and responsibilities of US military personnel. Those discussions are "moving along", Rumsfeld said. "That would create a situation where we would be able to do more things, exercises and that type of thing." Posted by: Fred 2006-02-12 |
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