Unrest: Tunisian President's Ouster Sends a Chill Across Arab World (Tunisia-Report‪)‬

The ouster of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali by violent public protests has sent shockwaves across the Arab world, raising fears that the Tunisian model to impose change could be used by freedom-seeking Arabs to get rid of unpopular authoritarian governments. Since Ben Ali, 69, was ousted on January 14 in a popular uprising after more than 23 years as president, the specter of the Tunisia-style revolt has been haunting most Arab countries ruled for decades by dictators or authoritarian governments which deprived their peoples of public freedoms or human rights. The potential for unrest exists in many Arab countries, which like Tunisia, are reeling under worsening economic conditions, poverty, unemployment, police repression and lack of public freedoms. The unprecedented riots that rocked Tunisia have been closely followed on regional satellite television channels and the Internet across the Middle East where high unemployment, soaring young populations and skyrocketing inflation are all catalysts for public revolt. Arab citizens' demands for political freedoms, economic reforms, and an end to deep-rooted corruption and nepotism have been ignored by autocratic rulers who fear that fulfilling these demands would threaten their survival.