US embassy cable - 05RABAT1752

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001752 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PI 
PARIS FOR ZEYA AND DEA HABIB 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
ROME FOR ROSE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2010 
TAGS: MO, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, SNAR 
SUBJECT: MOROCCO POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS 
 
REF: RABAT 1539 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Pol/C Tim Lenderking for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
(U) THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  PLEASE 
PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
Table of Contents 
 
 - King Weighs in on Gaza Pullout 
 - King Receives New Mauritanian Minister 
 - Extraordinary Session for Parliament? 
 - New Berber Party Holds Constituent Congress 
 - France and Spain to Increase Mediation on Western Sahara 
 - Round-Up of Illegal Migrants in Northern Morocco 
 - Drug Seizures in Fes and Marrakech 
 
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KING WEIGHS IN ON GAZA PULLOUT 
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1.  (U) Through a series of messages addressed to world 
leaders, King Mohammed expressed his satisfaction with the 
withdrawal of Israeli settlers from the Gaza strip, according 
to official Moroccan news agency, Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP). 
 The King called Palestinian President Abbas on August 16 to 
congratulate him and express his support for a Palestinian 
state as well as Abbas' efforts to stabilize the Palestinian 
Authority.  The King also congratulated Israeli PM Ariel 
Sharon on August 17 for his "wisdom, far-sightedness, and 
genuine commitment to the civilized option, based on 
negotiation, for the establishment of a just, comprehensive, 
and lasting peace in the Middle East."  His final public 
message was addressed to President Bush on August 17, whom he 
described as one of the "chief architects" of the pullout. 
He commended the President's "sincere commitment" and 
"untiring efforts" to reach a lasting peace in the region. 
King Mohammed is the chairman of the Al-Quds Committee. 
 
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KING RECEIVES NEW MAURITANIAN MINISTER 
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2.  (C) On August 15, King Mohammed received at his palace in 
Tetouan  Mohammed Ould Abed, Mauritania's new Minister of 
Economic Affairs and Development and special envoy of the 
recently established ruling Military Council for Justice and 
Democracy in Mauritania, according to MAP.  Abed expressed 
Mauritania's "resolve to continue enhancing the good 
brotherly relations uniting the two countries," and applauded 
the King's "great willingness to consolidate bilateral 
relations."  Although Morocco has remained silent on the 
Military Council for Justice and Democracy's coup in early 
August, his granting of an audience to an envoy from the new 
government appears to signal tacit acceptance of the new 
regime and a desire to maintain stable relations.  On the 
margins of an August 15 meeting, MFA Multilateral Affairs 
Director Mohamed Loulichki observed to Polcouns that the new 
regime in Nouakchott seemed to be "making all the right 
noises." 
 
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EXTRAORDINARY SESSION FOR PARLIAMENT? 
------------------------------------- 
 
3.  (U) Moroccan press accounts continue to report on the 
possibility that the parliament will hold an extraordinary 
session in September to consider the draft bill on political 
parties that the government submitted to parliament on July 
11 (reftel).  According to Arabic daily and PJD-affiliated 
Attajdid, the seven party caucuses in the lower house of 
parliament reportedly are not opposed to holding an 
extraordinary session.  The media notes that the party law, 
as currently drafted, allows parties two years to come into 
compliance with its provisions.  If parliament does not take 
up the legislation until the opening of its next legislative 
session on October 14, the news reports explain, parties 
would have until mid- to late-October 2007 to comply with the 
new law, which is a month after parliamentary elections would 
normally be set to take place. 
 
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NEW BERBER PARTY HOLDS CONSTITUENT CONGRESS 
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4.  (U) The newly established Amazigh Democratic Party of 
Morocco held its constituent congress on July 31, according 
to French-language weekly La Gazette du Maroc.  According to 
BBC's website, the party was set up to "promote cultural, 
linguistic and religious diversity, as well as federalism (in 
Morocco), promoting a secular society, defense of 
biodiversity...human rights and compliance with international 
conventions pertaining thereto."  The party elected Ahmed 
Adghirni secretary general. 
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FRANCE AND SPAIN TO INCREASE MEDIATION ON WESTERN SAHARA 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
5.  (U) Spain and France are planning to increase their 
efforts to resolve the Western Sahara conflict, according to 
a August 17 report from the Arabic-language daily Al Alam. 
The report states that the foreign ministers from the two 
countries met last week and decided to take common action to 
resolve the conflict and increase European-Maghreb 
cooperation. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
ROUND-UP OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN NORTHERN MOROCCO 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
6.  (U) Morocco's efforts to stem the flow of would-be 
illegal migrants transiting the country netted 134 
individuals in northern Morocco between August 12-16, 
according to local press reports.  On August 16, a Royal 
Marine patrol picked up 30 Moroccans near Al Hoceima as they 
attempted to migrate to Spain, while on August 12 auxiliary 
police forces arrested 104 sub-Saharans who sought to cross 
the border into the Spanish enclave of Melilla, according to 
MAP. 
 
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DRUG SEIZURES IN FES AND MARRAKECH 
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7.  (U) According to MAP reports, the Royale Gendarmerie of 
Fes seized 500 kilos of hashish that were concealed in a 
passenger vehicle on August 18.  The driver of the vehicle 
fled the scene.  On August 15, Moroccan police forces 
reportedly "dismantled" a drug trafficking gang in Marrakech, 
according to MAP.  The police arrested the unidentified 
leader of the gang and seized 10 kilos of hashish in the 
operation.  The leader's arrest concludes a steady crackdown 
on the gang, which included arrests in July and August of 
four gang members and the seizure of some 800 kilos of 
hashish. 
RILEY