US embassy cable - 91RABAT10076

UNCLAS RABAT 010076 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT FOR BREELAND 
 
E.O.  12356:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, MO 
SUBJECT:  1991 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:    STATE 346420 
 
1.  POST RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO QUESTIONS LISTED IN REFTEL PARA 
5. 
 
A)  THERE WERE NO HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM THIS YEAR.  THE MOROCCAN JUDICIARY HAS 
CHARGED 29 STUDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST 
ORGANIZATION "JUSTICE AND CHARITY" AT OUJDA UNIVERSITY WITH THE 
KIDNAPPING AND MURDER OF AT LEAST TWO STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY 
IN EARLY NOVEMBER. 
 
B)  NO EXTRADITIONS OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS WERE CARRIED OUT OR 
REQUESTED IN 1991. 
 
C)  THERE ARE NO IMPEDIMENTS TO GOM PROSECUTIONS OF TERRORISTS. 
MOROCCO DOES NOT HAVE AN EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE U.S., BUT 
WOULD LIKELY COOPERATE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS WITH ANY REQUEST 
FOR THE EXTRADITION OF A TERRORIST. 
 
D)  THE MOROCCAN GOVERNMENT HAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A 
WILLINGNESS TO RESPOND TO SECURITY CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE 
INVOLVING POTENTIAL TERRORIST THREATS.  AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 
GULF WAR, THE GOM UNDERTOOK EXCEPTIONAL SECURITY MEASURES TO 
PREEMPT POSSIBLE TERRORIST ACTIONS IN MOROCCO, AND PROVIDED 
ENHANCED SECURITY FOR U.S. FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL.  THE GOM, 
HOWEVER, PREFERS TO HANDLE THESE ISSUES QUIETLY AND DOES NOT 
GENERALLY ISSUE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON SECURITY MATTERS. 
 
E)  THE GOM PARTICIPATES AS AN OBSERVER IN THE ANNUAL MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE OF THE TREVI GROUP.  THE GOM ALSO PARTICIPATED IN 
SEPTEMBER 1990 IN A REVIEW OF THE U.S.-MOROCCO BILATERAL 
AGREEMENT ON COUNTERTERRORISM, NARCOTICS AND ORGANIZED CRIME, 
PART OF AN ONGOING BILATERAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES 
ON COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES. 
 
F)  THE GOM DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, EITHER 
RHETORICALLY OR MATERIALLY. 
 
G)  MOROCCO IS LINKED TO LIBYA BY BOTH COUNTRIES' MEMBERSHIP IN 
THE ARAB MAGHREB UNION, AS WELL AS BY EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL TIES. 
 
THE GOM HAS SOUGHT THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBYA, BUT 
HAS NOT SUPPORTED LIBYA ON A TERRORISM ISSUE.  MOROCCO STRONGLY 
SUPPORTS THE PALESTINIANS' CLAIM TO SELF-DETERMINATION, AND 
CONSIDERS THE PLO TO BE THE LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.  MOROCCO HAS LONG WORKED TO MODERATE THE PLO, 
HOWEVER, AND SUPPORTS A PEACEFUL, NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT OF THE 
ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT.  THE GOM ENCOURAGES THE PLO TO LIVE UP TO 
ITS COMMITMENT TO RENOUNCE TERRORISM. 
 
H)  THE GOM DEMONSTRATED HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY TO TERRORIST 
THREATS RESULTING FROM THE GULF WAR.  THIS HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY 
HAS CONTINUED INTO THE POST-WAR PERIOD, RESULTING IN INCREASED 
RESPONSIVENESS TO USG SECURITY CONCERNS.  THE GOM IS ALSO 
INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR DOMESTIC 
TERRORISM, BOTH AS THE RESULT OF EXTREMIST OPPOSITION TO MIDDLE 
EAST PEACE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE RECENT STUDENT VIOLENCE BETWEEN 
ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST AND LEFTIST STUDENT FACTIONS. 
 
 
USSERY