Morocco's mistakes in anti-terror strategy are today costly

By Olivier Guitta

In light of the recent suicide bombings in Casablanca from terrorists who did not want to get caught alive, it's interesting to take a look at some of the major deficiencies of Morocco's anti-terror strategy.
From last week's issue of The Croissant comes this story:

The United Nations pointed in 2003 to the weaknesses of the Moroccan anti-terror fight, even after the May 16 terror attacks in Casablanca:

A U.N. group composed of a dozen people and placed under the direction of a British diplomat visited Morocco in September 2003.

Why?
To verify that Morocco applied the UN Council Resolutions relating to putting an end to the support networks of international terrorism

Upon their return:
2 UN experts wrote a report
This 2003 document is embarrassing for Moroccan services in charge of fighting terrorism at the time.
The conclusion of that report could not be clearer: “the Moroccan authorities did not want to collaborate with us”.

One of the major reasons of this behavior is:

- SAUDI ARABIA:

a) Fear of Saudi Arabia:

Regarding the [2003] Casablanca attacks:
The number 2 of the Moroccan DST [equivalent of the FBI] at the time, Noureddine Benbrahim, revealed to agents working for French intelligence that:
“To blame Al Sirat Al Moustakim (the group presented as responsible for the bombings) was a decision made with the French and the Americans to limit the impact on the domestic situation”.

Why?
“Because to say that these attacks were Bin Laden’s responsibility:
Would create total panic in the country”
“And the fury of Saudi Arabia”, could have very well added Benbrahim…

According to a French Defense ministry 2003 memo:
Benbrahim also told the French spies that at least 2 nationals of the Gulf - a Saudi and an Emirati - were among the terrorists but that the Moroccan Interior ministry kept silent “to protect Morocco’s friends”.

Here lies a major dilemma for Morocco:
How to fight efficiently terrorism when one needs the influx of capital from the Gulf and does not want to anger Saudi Arabia whose perverse ideological propaganda in the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s is no secret for anybody?

To read the rest including details of the report, please click here.

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