U.S. Condemns Violence Against Civilians in Tunisia

The U.S. is monitoring reports that Tunisian President Ben Ali has left his country as the White House deplores violence against civilians there, an Obama administration spokesman said.

“We condemn the ongoing violence against civilians in Tunisia and call on the Tunisian authorities to fulfill the important commitments made by President Ben Ali in his speech yesterday to the Tunisian people, including respect for basic human rights and a process of much-needed political reform,” said Michael Hammer, a spokesman for President Barack Obama’s National Security Council.