US embassy cable - 05RABAT2265

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 002265 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, IR, MO 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHING MOROCCO ON IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S REMARKS 
 
REF: A. STATE 199863 
     B. STATE 199225 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reasons 1.4 (b), (d). 
 
1. (C) With a group of fifteen Ambassadors and Embassy 
representatives, Ambassador met with Deputy Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Taieb Fassi Fihri on November 2 to underscore 
our deep concern regarding the Iranian President's remarks on 
Israel (refs a and b).  In an impressive showing, Ambassadors 
from Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, 
Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, 
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania and the Spanish Political 
Counselor gathered to emphasize the seriousness of the matter 
to the GOM.  Moroccans attending the meeting included: Fassi 
Fihri, MFA SYG Omar Hilali, MFA Director of International 
Organizations and UN Affairs Zhour Alaoui, and MFA Director 
of Multilateral Relations and Global Cooperation Mohamed 
Loulichki. 
 
2. (C) Organized by the British Ambassador, the size of the 
group was intended to demonstrate to the Moroccans the strong 
international reaction to the Iranian President's remarks. 
The UK Ambassador opened the meeting by emphasizing that 
these remarks had been unacceptable and needed to be 
condemned in no uncertain terms.  He stressed that all of the 
governments represented in the meeting felt strongly and 
unanimously about this issue and had decided that it was 
important to join together to express this deep concern to 
the GOM.  The Italian Ambassador said that it was 
unconscionable for any leader to speak the way the Iranian 
President had spoken.  Ambassador reemphasized the British 
and Italian remarks and thanked the UK Ambassador for 
organizing the strong participation represented.  Ambassador 
stressed that the issue was so important that it had brought 
all of these representatives together to make a powerful 
statement to the GOM. 
 
3. (C) In response, Fassi Fihri asserted that it was 
important to understand the "motivation" behind the Iranian 
President's remarks.  Were the remarks intended as a 
provocation, was it an off-handed comment, were they intended 
for internal political consumption,  does the President truly 
believe what he has said, or is it a trap, asked Fassi Fihri 
rhetorically.  The Hungarian Ambassador retorted that it is 
not important to know what the motivations are because 
regardless of his motivations, these kinds of statements 
should be condemned. 
 
4. (C) Fassi Fihri then emphasized that the GOM is in 
"complete agreement" regarding Iran with the assembled 
participants.  Explaining that Morocco has had problems with 
Iran since Khomeini came to power, Fassi Fihri said that Iran 
remains a "worry and concern."  When Ahmadi-Nejad makes such 
a statement about wiping Israel off the map, it also means 
that 600,000 Moroccans would be "thrown into the sea." 
(Embassy Comment: Fassi Fihri is likely referring to the 
population of Moroccan Jews in Israel.)   However, it is 
currently difficult for the GOM to make a strong statement 
because of ongoing concerns regarding the two Moroccans being 
held hostage in Iraq.  Fassi Fihri emphasized that Morocco 
must be careful about what it says as it will likely be 
dealing with this issue for a long time.  In conclusion, he 
stressed Moroccan agreement with the participants, but 
reiterated the delicate position Morocco is in at the time 
and asked for understanding from the countries assembled. 
Ambassador left behind U.S. points as a non-paper with Fassi 
Fihri. 
RILEY