US to double security aid to Tunisia in 2016

The United States will double its security aid to Tunisia in 2016 in order to boost the North African country’s ability to combat terrorism, a senior US official said on Friday. According to Anadolu, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a press briefing in Tunis that the aid could be provided in the form of weapons, equipment or intelligence sharing.

The press statement came after a meeting with the Tunisian prime minister, during which Blinken told Habib Essid of Washington’s readiness to provide additional assistance and training to his country’s security forces. He did not, however, reveal specific details about the amount of US aid to Tunisia at the moment, or how much it would be by 2016.

Since late 2012, Tunisia has witnessed several militant attacks that have left scores of security personnel dead and wounded. Last month, at least 24 people, mostly foreign tourists, were killed in one such attack on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis.

During his visit, Blinken met several officials in addition to the prime minister. He also met Sheikh Rashid Al-Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda Party, the Tunisian Islamist movement.