Testimony Implicates Leaders of Tunisia’s Ennahda in Terrorism

Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda movement. (Reuters)
Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda movement. (Reuters)
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Testimony Implicates Leaders of Tunisia’s Ennahda in Terrorism

Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda movement. (Reuters)
Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda movement. (Reuters)

The testimony of Karim Abdel Salam, the mastermind of the Bab Souika operation and one of the leaders of the Tunisian Ennahda’s youth, revealed the involvement of current leaders in the party in violence dating back to 1991.

The operation resulted in the burning of the guards at the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Constitutional Assembly and the execution of three young men from Ennahda.

Abdel Salam said that the operation “was plotted by the leaders of the movement, and executed by its youth.”

He accused current leaders of the Ennahda movement of planning and masterminding the terrorist operation in an open confrontation with the ousted regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Moreover, he noted that the Bab Souika operation was deliberate and most of the movement’s leaders were aware of its details.

He also revealed an “extraordinary plot” at the time to resist the Ben Ali regime. It was developed by Abdel Hamid Al-Jalasi, a prominent member of Ennahda, in cooperation with Habib Al-Lawz, Abdel-Karim Harouni and Al-Ajami Al-Warimayn, all of whom are current leaders in the movement.

The plot was aimed at collecting weapons and preparing groups to target the headquarters of the dissolved Tagammu Party and to burn the premises of educational institutions.

Abdel Salam, who presented the testimony through Radio Shems FM, said that Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda movement, led a campaign at the time to mobilize the party’s supporters, adding that the movement had manufactured weapons locally at the beginning of the 1990s in preparation for an open confrontation with the Ben Ali regime.

In his response to the accusations, Ghannouchi said Abdel Salam’s testimony “is nothing but a miserable and desperate attempt to transform a political movement ... which is the largest in the country, into a security story, by trying to link it to terrorism.”

A group of left-wing parties had on several occasions accused the Ennahda of running an illegal security apparatus, being behind political assassinations after 2011 and carrying out suspicions activity within the Ministry of Interior.



Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
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Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 

As the Houthi threat to international shipping grows ever more serious - most recently with the sinking of two Greek vessels, killing three sailors and leaving twelve missing - there has been little substantial reaction from major world powers. The United States, Germany’s foreign minister, and the UN envoy to Yemen were among the few to voice concern and call for de-escalation.

While Houthi attacks intensify across the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, insurance premiums for commercial ships in these waters have surged to as much as 1% of a vessel’s value, according to leading global insurers. This underscores the scale of the risk and the declining confidence in protecting this vital maritime corridor.

The two assaults targeted the cargo ships Magic Seas and True Confidence between Sunday and Tuesday last week. According to the EU naval mission Aspides, tasked with safeguarding Red Sea navigation, the attacks killed at least three sailors, wounded others, and left a dozen unaccounted for.

The strike on the Liberian-flagged Greek-operated True Confidence marked a dangerous escalation. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they used an explosive-laden drone boat and six ballistic and cruise missiles. They alleged the ship was heading to Israel’s port of Eilat, though independent verification was lacking.

Despite the scale of the violence, most global capitals limited their responses to brief statements. Only the US ambassador to the UN issued a pointed condemnation, along with remarks from a State Department spokesperson and a statement by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

The US denounced the attacks as “terrorist and unjustified,” describing them as evidence of the “ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed Houthis to regional maritime security and commerce.” The US ambassador stressed Washington’s commitment to denying the Houthis resources to fund such operations and called on the UN Security Council to remove obstacles blocking its expert monitoring teams in Yemen.

The State Department likewise condemned the attacks as a threat to the freedom of navigation and economic stability. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect commercial shipping,” the statement warned, urging the broader international community to condemn the Houthis’ actions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran must use its influence to halt Houthi attacks. Speaking in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts, he declared: “We strongly condemn these attacks and expect Iran to act to stop them.”

UN envoy Grundberg expressed deep concern about the sinking of True Confidence, warning of the humanitarian and environmental consequences of such operations, which violate international law and Security Council Resolution 2722. He urged the Houthis to provide sustainable guarantees to end attacks and build on prior understandings with the United States.

Oman had brokered a limited agreement last May under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American ships in return for a suspension of broad US-led military action - though the deal excluded Israel.

A Dangerous Precedent

Yemeni officials say the tepid reactions from much of the world send the Houthis the wrong message, reinforcing their sense of impunity. On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi boasted in his weekly address about sinking the vessels, calling it a “clear lesson” to any shipping company doing business with Israel.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 150 attacks, disrupting global trade flows through the Red Sea. Their operations have sunk British and Greek ships and damaged many more, including hijacking the Galaxy Leader and holding its crew for over a year.