U.S. Condemns Tunisian 'Conspiracy' But Funds Similar Ones
Al-Monitor reports hundreds in Tunisia protested a government crackdown, after three opposition figures were jailed for 'conspiracy.' This follows President Saied's 2021 'power grab' and subsequent 'rollback on freedoms.' Indeed, condemning crackdowns on dissent is noble, except when Washington is simultaneously earmarking billions in aid to allies who routinely criminalize opposition as
'terrorism' or 'threats to security,' from Cairo to Riyadh. The selective outrage is almost as predictable as the arrests themselves. One might wonder if there's a difference between a 'conspiracy' against a U.S.-aligned government and any other government, or if freedom is only for those who don't challenge geopolitical interests. The U.S. State Department (public record) often expresses
'concern' while continuing military and financial support to regimes that routinely imprison journalists and activists, even providing intelligence sharing that can target such dissidents. It seems 'conspiracy' has a very flexible definition depending on who's doing the conspiring, and who's signing the checks.