Tunisian Update: 9:30 PM CST

Tunisians see new Web freedoms as acting president takes over

Well that's gotta be good.

So is this, from the link above:

"Tunisia has close cultural and economic links to France, which invaded Tunisia in 1881. That move led to the creation of a protectorate until Tunisia became independent in 1956.

An official statement from French President Nicolas Sarkozy noted France's "many ties of friendship" to Tunisia and called for free elections as soon as possible.

After Sarkozy met with some senior members of his Cabinet Saturday to discuss Tunisia, Finance Minister Christine Lagarde sent instructions to financial institutions and banks to freeze the assets in France of the Ben Ali family.

French government spokesman Francois Baroin said Saturday that France asked some of Ben Ali's relatives to leave the country, adding that Ben Ali wouldn't be allowed in France."

And in Tunisia's neighbour, Libya, Moammar Gadhafi is shitting bricks:

"Moammar Gadhafi, leader of neighboring Libya, denounced the developments in a televised speech Saturday night. Ben Ali remains the nation's rightful president, per its constitution, and blamed unrest on criminal gangs, he said.

'Sadly, Tunisia is headed to more chaos and we do not know how it will end,' he said.

Gadhafi closed his speech by saying he was 'sad and hurt' by the recent developments, which he said threatened to derail significant progress in Tunisia.

'I hope your sanity returns and your wounds heal, because you had a big loss that will never return,' he said, addressing the Tunisian people."

The shit must be up to his knees by now, if not higher. If the Tunisians manage to keep the revolution going, look for some significant developments in Libya, and some pretty horrific repression.