US gave Tunisia $32 million in military aid

The United States has given Tunisia $32 million in military aid since a popular uprising 16 months ago, US Army General Carter F. Ham said Tuesday. Tunisia and several other Arab nations saw long-standing dictators toppled as a result of the Arab Spring uprisings. In the case of Tunisia, moderate Islamists are now in power. Ham, who is the commander-in-chief of the US's Africa Command, also said 35 Tunisian troops are undergoing training in the United States, which has trained 4,000 Tunisian soldiers in the past 10 years, the official news agency TAP reported. Carter, speaking in Tunis, warned of the threat of terrorist groups in Africa and the increase of illegal weapons on the continent. He said Al-Qaeda in particular was threatening Africa's security and stability and benefitting after coups in Mali and Guinea-Bissau. Beyond military cooperation, the US announced 29 March its intention of granting $100 million (132 million euros) to Tunisia to help the transitioning democracy pay its debts and focus on boosting its economy. From: Ahram online