Almost two weeks before the desperate young fruit-seller Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire on a street in Tunis and a full month before the uprising that ensued, touching off the “Arab Spring” that is still unfolding, the rationale for revolution appeared on the Internet, where it was devoured by millions of Tunisians. It was a WikiLeaks document pertaining to the unexampled greed and massive corruption of Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and all his money-hungry family.
The most memorable details were in a dispatch written by Robert F. Godec, the US ambassador to Tunisia, who had dined a year earlier in the lovely seaside resort of Hammamet. His host was Mohamed Sakher El Materi, the prosperous son-in-law of Ben Ali. The luxurious appointments of the Materi mansion, its lavish display and flaunted wealth clearly struck a chord in the American. Roman columns and ancient frescoes adorned the cream-colored home; an infinity pool shimmered beneath a 50-meter terrace, its constant supply of water pouring liberally from an ancient lion’s head, Godec reported in a passage subheaded “Al-Materi Unplugged.” And that wasn’t all:
“Al-Materi has a large tiger (‘Pasha’) on his compound, living in a cage,” Godec wrote. “He acquired it when it was a few weeks old. The tiger consumes four chickens a day.” As for the family itself, its members gobbled their own gustatory treats—fish, turkey, steak, and octopus were followed that night by ice cream and frozen yogurt freshly flown in from Saint-Tropez. The talk on the night Godec was present, however, focused less on the gourmet items than the cash required to keep them coming. The already wealthy son-in-law wanted to acquire a McDonald’s franchise in Tunisia, and he needed help from the US.
The most memorable details were in a dispatch written by Robert F. Godec, the US ambassador to Tunisia, who had dined a year earlier in the lovely seaside resort of Hammamet. His host was Mohamed Sakher El Materi, the prosperous son-in-law of Ben Ali. The luxurious appointments of the Materi mansion, its lavish display and flaunted wealth clearly struck a chord in the American. Roman columns and ancient frescoes adorned the cream-colored home; an infinity pool shimmered beneath a 50-meter terrace, its constant supply of water pouring liberally from an ancient lion’s head, Godec reported in a passage subheaded “Al-Materi Unplugged.” And that wasn’t all:
“Al-Materi has a large tiger (‘Pasha’) on his compound, living in a cage,” Godec wrote. “He acquired it when it was a few weeks old. The tiger consumes four chickens a day.” As for the family itself, its members gobbled their own gustatory treats—fish, turkey, steak, and octopus were followed that night by ice cream and frozen yogurt freshly flown in from Saint-Tropez. The talk on the night Godec was present, however, focused less on the gourmet items than the cash required to keep them coming. The already wealthy son-in-law wanted to acquire a McDonald’s franchise in Tunisia, and he needed help from the US.
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