The Intelligence State in Tunisia

For most Arab regimes, intelligence, security apparatus and the secret services, are central to their domestic politics. Yet despite this, very little scholarly attention has been paid to the relationship between intelligence and politics in any Arab state. This book examines how security apparatus and intelligence influenced the domestic politics of Tunisia, from the implementation of French Protectorate in 1881 to the aftermath of the independence up to 1965. Based on unprecedented access to the sources of the Ministry of Interior and the First Ministry during Bourguiba's regime, as well as the national, diplomatic and military archives of France, Italy and the United Kingdom, the book is the first to trace the evolution of the Tunisian security community. Omar Safi argues that from an apparatus designed to maintain colonial control, intelligence became an instrument to drive the political agendas of the ruling elite. The book sheds new light on the influence of intelligence, presenting it as the fundamental, and generally ignored, 'missing dimension' of North African domestic politics.

Omar Safi is a Teaching Fellow for the University of Portsmouth based at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell. He holds a PhD in War Studies from King's College London.

Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1: The Beylical Intelligence State, 1705-1881 Chapter 2: French Invasion and the implementation of the Protectorate, 1881-1885 Chapter 3: The Colonial Intelligence State, 1885-1887 Chapter 4: The emergence of the Tunisian National Movement, 1887-1939 Chapter 5: Towards the Independence of Tunisia and the final failure of the Colonial Intelligence State, 1939-1954 Chapter 6: The paradoxical Independence and the advent of the Bourguibist Intelligence State, 1954-1956 Chapter 7: The implementation of the Bourguibist Intelligence State and the first failures, 1956-1965 Conclusion Bibliography Appendices Appendix I: Beylical Influence over Tunisia Appendix II: The Beylical Intelligence State Appendix III: French Invasion 1881-1882 Appendix IV: The Tunisian Tribes at the beginning of the Protectorate Appendix V: The Colonial Intelligence State (CIS) Appendix VI: The Contrôleurs Civils in 1885 Appendix VII: The Contrôleurs Civils in 1887 Appendix VIII: Circumscriptions of the Contrôleurs Civils 1922 Appendix IX : Beys - Résidents Généraux Appendix X: Evolution of Fellagha Movement Appendix XI: Newspaper Le Monde - Recognition of Internal Autonomy Appendix XII: Note on Youssef's arrival in Tunisia Appendix XIII: Newspaper L'Action - Expulsion of Ben Youssef from Néo-Destour Appendix XIV: Note on the rivalry between Bourguiba and Ben Youssef Appendix XV: Youssef's Network Structure Appendix XVI: The Bourguibist Intelligence State (BIS) Appendix XVII: Algerian presence in Tunisia 1954-1963 Appendix XVIII: Chronology