US following closely situation in Tunisia.

The United States said on Monday it is

following closely the situation in Tunisia and called the government to

balance between freedom of expression and its legitimate right to ensure

safety for its citizens.

"We continue to monitor the situation in Tunisia. We continue to encourage

everyone to exercise restraint," said Assistant Secretary of State for public

affairs Philip Crowley in a press briefing.

He noted that US Ambassador to Tunisia Gordon Gray who had a follow-up

discussion with the Tunisian government while also confirming that Gordon Gray

was summoned to hear complaints by the Tunisian government about how the US

characterizes the situation in Tunisia.

"We again affirmed our concerns not only about the ongoing violence, the

importance of respecting freedom of expression, but also the importance of the

availability of information. And we will continue that discussion," said

Crowley.

The State Department official did not "necessarily see a connection between

what is happening in Tunisia and what is happening in Algeria. My

understanding today is that the situation in Algeria has improved to some

degree."

Crowley expressed concerns over the closing of all schools and universities

in Tunisia saying that "to the extent that we understand the government has a

very legitimate right to ensure the safety of its citizens. That said, we do

have concerns about some of the steps that the government has taken."

"There is a way of dealing with those who are in fact trying to incite

violence, while preserving for the balance of the population the right to

assemble, the right to freely express views, and the right to have access to

the internet," he added.

All KUNA right are reserved 2011.

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company