The Tunisian military has traditionally been oriented toward defensive operations, with Libya regarded as the likeliest threat. Even so, the military's force structure has never been one that could be regarded as a major deterrent. For decades until the revolution in 2011, the Tunisian military received very little attention from the government. The mix of equipment tends toward older or even obsolete systems, as well as an excessive mix of different types, thus complicating logistics. One major shortfall has been a lack of mobility needed to deploy troops in significant numbers to the country's borders in case of crisis. Many of the country's troops are located near urban centers rather than close to its borders. However, as the threat environment has changed, so, too, has the Tunisian military. It is currently in the process of transforming into a force that responds rapidly to terrorism and is able to participate in United Nations or African Union peacekeeping mission deployments. Because funding for the transformation process is limited, Tunisia is looking to the United States to support the change. This U.S. support is part of a program to bolster the Tunisian government against the rising threat posed by terrorist organizations linked to al-Qaeda operating in the Arab Maghreb region.
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