US embassy cable - 01RABAT3231

UNCLAS RABAT 003231 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER 
SUBJECT: MOROCCO:  2001 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 198912 
 
1.  PER DEPARTMENT GUIDANCE, THE FOLLOWING IS KEYED TO 
REFTEL AND CONSTITUTES POST'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANNUAL 
TERRORISM REPORT. 
 
KING MOHAMMED VI AND THE GOM STRONGLY CONDEMNED THE 
ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11 AND HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF 
THE ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST AL-QAIDA AND THE TALIBAN. 
FOLLOWING THE ATTACKS, KING MOHAMMED PLEDGED MOROCCO'S 
FULL COOPERATION IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM. 
 
AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS SUPPORT, THE GOM SIGNED THE UN 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE 
FINANCING OF TERRORISM ON SEPTEMBER 24, AND IT IS 
COMPLYING WITH UNSCR RESOLUTIONS ON TERRORIST FINANCING. 
 
B)  THER WERE NO THWARTED TERRORIST INCIDENTS OR 
TERRORIT CELLS DISRUPTED BY THE GOM THAT WERE MADE 
PUBLICLY KNOWN IN 2001.  HISTORICALLY, THE GOM HAS BEEN 
EXTREMELY VIGILANT IN REGARD TO SUSPECT TERRORIST 
ACTIVITIES AND HAS STRONGLY REACTED TO POTENTIAL 
THREATS.  IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT DOMESTIC TERRORISM 
IS LARGELY UNHEARD OF IN MOROCCO. 
 
C)  IN 2001, THE GOM DID NOT ISSUE ANY SIGNIFICANT NEW 
LAWS CONCERNING TERRORISM.  THE PENAL CODE REGARDING 
SUSPECT TERRORIST ACTIVITIES HAS ALWAYS WEIGHED HEAVILY 
TOWARDS SECURITY CONCERNS, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO 
U.S. INTERESTS IN MOROCCO. 
 
D)  THERE WERE NO REQUESTS ON THE PART OF THE GOM FOR 
THE EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS IN 2001. 
 
E)  ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO EXTRADITION TREATY BETWEEN THE 
USG AND GOM, POST DOES NOT PERCEIVE THERE WOULD BE ANY 
SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO GOM PROSECUTION AND/OR 
EXTRADITION OF KNOWN TERRORIST THAT ARE NOT MOROCAN 
NATIONALS. 
 
F)  IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS, KING 
MOHAMMED ISSUED A STRONG PUBLIC CONDEMNATION AGAINST 
THOSE WHO CARRIED OUT THE ATTACKS AND TERRORIST ACTS IN 
GENERAL.  THE GOM TRADITIONALLY ISSUES PUBLIC STATEMENTS 
IN OPPOSITION TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.  THE GOM HAS 
PLEDGED ITS FULL SUPPORT IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE 
SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS AND OTHER ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM. 
 
G)  IN LATE SEPTEMBER 2001, THE GOM SIGNED THE UN 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE 
FINANCING OF TERRORISM AND AGREED TO BLOCK AND FREEZE 
TERRORIST-RELATED ACCOUNTS. 
 
H)  THE GOM DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, 
TERRORISTS, OR TERRORIST GROUPS. 
 
I)  THE GOM HAS NOT ISSUED ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN 
SUPPORT OF THE SEVEN GOVERNMENTS DESIGNATED BY THE 
SECRETARY AS STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM.  HOWEVER, 
IRAN, IRAQ, LIBYA, SYRIA AND SUDAN HAVE DIPLOMATS 
ACCREDITED TO THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO. 
 
J)  THE GOM CONTINUES TO STRONGLY CONDEMN ALL TERRORISM 
AND TERRORIST ACTS. 
 
K) THE USG AND GOM HAVE COOPERATED CLOSELY ON 
COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS, ALL OF WHICH REMAIN 
UNPUBLICIZED. 
 
L) DURING THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS, THE USG HAS NOT 
SOUGHT GOM SUPPORT IN THE INVESTIGATION OR PROSECUTION 
OF AN ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AGAINST U.S. 
CITIZENS OR U.S. INTERESTS. 
 
M)  THE GOM ROUTINELY COOPERATES WITH THE USG TO ENSURE 
THE SAFETY OF U.S. CITIZENS AND INTERESTS IN MOROCCO. 
AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, THE GOM QUICKLY AND POSITIVELY 
RESPONDED TO POST'S REQUEST FOR INCREASED SECURITY FOR 
USG PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES. 
 
TUTWILER