; training The terms defense article , defense service , and training have the meanings given those terms in section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2794 note). 3. Findings and declarations Congress finds and declares the following: (1) Tunisia has been a critical ally of the United States for more than 200 years, dating back to 1797 when the Treaty of Peace and Friendship was signed, ensuring the safety and availability of open sea lanes in the Mediterranean Sea. (2) On December 10, 2010, the self-immolation of Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohammed Bouazizi, inspired popular revolutions across the region leading to political transitions in four countries, often referred to as the Arab Spring , and initiating Tunisia’s transition to democracy. (3) In 2014, Tunisia became the first country with a majority Muslim population in the Middle East or North Africa to experience both Presidential and parliamentary political transitions through free and fair democratic elections. (4) Since 2011, more than 3,000 Tunisian citizens have gone to fight in Syria making Tunisia one of the largest contributors to foreign fighters in Syria. (5) Tunisia shares a 285-mile border with neighboring Libya and is currently hosting more than 1,000,000 Libyan refugees fleeing the ongoing Libyan civil war and the Islamic State (ISIS). (6) The terrorist group Ansar al-Sharia (AAS) was founded in April 2011 in Tunisia and is ideologically aligned with Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) and ISIS. AAS is responsible for the assassinations of Tunisian MP Mohamed Brahimi on July 25, 2013, and secular-democratic political activist Chokri Belaid on February 6, 2013. (7) On September 14, 2012, Ansar al-Sharia terrorists attacked the United States Embassy compound, annex, and school in Tunis, Tunisia, causing millions of dollars in damages. (8) On January 10, 2014, Ansar al-Sharia was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. (9) On March 18, 2015, 18 people were killed in a terrorist attack at the Bardo National Museum