Assassination

Tunisian Opposition Leader Killed

Allegedly by radical Muslims.

This doesn't bode well for Tunisia's fledgling democracy. A prominent secular opposition leader was shot to death Wednesday, with the government blaming extremist radical Muslims for his death. Chokri Belaid, 48, was the leader of the leftist Popular Front, and his family said he regularly received death threats—including one on Tuesday. Belaid had been an outspoken critic of Tunisia’s government, especially the powerful moderate Islamist party Ennahda. On Saturday Belaid accused "mercenaries" hired by Ennahda of attacking a Democratic Patriots meeting. Since its uprising two years ago—largely credited with kicking off revolutions throughout the Arab world—Tunisia has struggled to find balance between radical Islamist groups and more moderate parties. It's the first political assassination since Tunisia's revolution.