Wiki Leaks

 ROME, DECEMBER 8 - Cables published by Wikileaks have revealed that the American ambassador in Tunis, in dispatches dated June 2008 and July 2009, wrote that "corruption is growing" in Tunisia and that the family of President Ben Ali is ''often defined a quasi-mafia, the word Family is enough to understand who is being talked about''.

In the chapter on "Democracy and human rights", it is noted that ''France and Italy avoid putting pressure on the Tunis government'' The cables from the US ambassador in Tunis, Robert F. Godec, are dated June 23 2008 and July 17 2009.

In the first cable, Godec says of the country that ''although small-time corruption is widespread, it is the excesses of the President's family that outrage Tunisians''. He then quotes the 2007 report by Transparency International, in which Tunisia is mentioned as suffering ''worsening corruption''.

''All in the family'' is the title of the chapter on the country's President. ''It is often cited as the nexus of Tunisian corruption and often defined a quasi-mafia, the word Family is enough to understand who is being talked about,'' says the American ambassador, who goes on to explain the ''Family's'' economic links, in which Ben Ali's wife ''causes the greatest anger''. ''Corruption here is the elephant in the room, nobody can say it publicly, but everyone knows that this is the problem''.

The second dispatch, dated July 2009, follows the same line. ''The problem: a sclerotic regime and growing corruption'' is the heading of a paragraph of analysis by the American diplomat.

In the section entitled ''How to develop democracy and human rights'', meanwhile, the new directives of the Obama administration's policy are laid out, ''a more pragmatic approach, difficult face-to-face meetings but less public criticism''. The ambassador also says that greater commitment is needed ''to persuade European partners to intensify their efforts to accelerate reforms from the Tunis government. While some European countries (the United Kingdom and Germany) agree with us, key countries such as France and Italy have avoided putting pressure on Tunis. We should make efforts to ensure that they do so''.

In other cables, American and Canadian diplomats report ''mistreatment and torture'' of detainees in the country's prisons, particularly those accused of terrorism, in some cases at the hands of Interior Ministry officials. (ANSAmed).