US embassy cable - 92RABAT11918

UNCLAS RABAT 011918 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR 
TAGS: PTER, MO 
SUBJECT: 1992 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 338430 
 
1.   POST RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO QUESTIONS LISTED IN REFTEL PARA 
5. 
 
A.  WE ARE AWARE OF NO HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 
INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM IN 1992. 
 
B.  WE KNOW OF NO EXTRADITIONS OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS THAT WERE 
CARRIED OUT OR REQUESTED IN 1992. 
 
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 GOM HAS CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED A WILLINGNESS TO 
RESPOND TO SECURITY CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING 
POTENTIAL TERRORIST THREATS.  IN GENERAL, HOWEVER, THE GOM 
PREFERS TO HANDLE THESE ISSUES QUIETLY AND DOES NOT ISSUE PUBLIC 
STATEMENTS ON SECURITY ISSUES.  IN APRIL 1992 MOROCCAN 
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE UNSC DID PUBLICLY CONDEMN THE ATTACK BY AN 
ORGANIZED MOB ON THE VENEZUELAN EMBASSY IN TRIPOLI, WHICH 
FOLLOWED THE PASSAGE OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC) RESOLUTION 
731.  AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, THE GOM REPRESENTATIVES URGED 
THAT THE UNSC TAKE NOTE OF LIBYAN PROMISES TO BRING TO JUSTICE 
THOSE RESPONSIBLE, PROVIDE COMPENSATION AND OFFER PROTECTION IN 
THE FUTURE.  IN SEPTEMBER 1992 THE MOROCCAN PRESS REPORTED THAT 
THE GOM HAD PROTESTED TO SUDANESE AUTHORITIES (AUG/SEP 92) THE 
PRESENCE OF MOROCCAN OPPOSITION ELEMENTS IN SUPPOSED IRANIAN 
BACKED TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS IN SUDAN. 
 
E.  THE GOM PARTICIPATES AS AN OBSERVER IN THE ANNUAL MINISTERIAL 
CONFERENCE OF THE TREVI GROUP.  THE U.S. AND MOROCCO MAINTAIN AN 
ONGOING BILATERAL DIALOGUE ON COUNTER-TERRORISM ISSUES. 
 
F.  THE GOM DOES NOT SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, EITHER 
RHETORICALLY OR MATERIALLY.  MOROCCANS ARE ALWAYS PROUD TO 
ANNOUNCE THAT NO TERRORIST INCIDENT HAS EVER OCCURRED IN MOROCCO. 
 
MOROCCO STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE PALESTINIANS' CLAIM TO SELF- 
DETERMINATION AND CONSIDERS THE PLO 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.  MOROCCO HAS REGULAR HIGH-LEVEL 
CONTACT WITH THE PLO LEADERSHIP.  THE GOM ENCOURAGES THE PLO TO 
LIVE UP TO ITS COMMITMENT TO RENOUNCE TERRORISM AND PARTICIPATE 
FULLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. 
 
G.  THE GOM HAS NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF 
CUBA, IRAN, IRAQ, NORTH KOREA OR SYRIA ON TERRORISM ISSUES. 
NEITHER HAS THE GOM EVER MADE PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF 
LIBYA ON TERRORISM ISSUES, BUT THE GOM HAS OFTEN STATED ITS 
BELIEF THAT LIBYA HAS REFORMED ITS WAYS AND ABANDONED SUPPORT FOR 
TERRORISM, AND THAT THE U.S. AND U.K. SHOULD ENTER INTO DIALOGUE 
WITH LIBYA.  MOROCCO ABSTAINED FROM THE UNSC'S VOTE ON RESOLUTION 
731 ON 31 MARCH 1992 AND APPARENTLY RAISED NO OBJECTIONS TO THE 
MAGHREB ARAB UNION'S NOVEMBER 11 SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE CONTAINING 
LANGUAGE URGING THE UNSC TO "RECONSIDER" ITS SANCTIONS STANCE 
AGAINST LIBYA. 
 
H.  THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ATTITUDE ON THE 
PART OF THE GOM SINCE 1991. IT REMAINS OPPOSED TO TERRORISM. 
 
I.  MOROCCO IS LINKED TO LIBYA BY BOTH COUNTRIES'S MEMBERSHIP IN 
THE ARAB MAGHREB UNION, AS WELL AS BY EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL TIES. 
 
PARTLY BECAUSE OF THESE TIES, THE GOM HAS SOUGHT THE LIFTING OF 
SANCTIONS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME FOLLOWING MOST OF THEM.  WE 
RECALL THAT LAST JANUARY, MOROCCO AS A UN SECURITY COUNCIL 
MEMBER, VOTED FOR THE SANCTIONS RESOLUTION AGAINST LIBYA.  ALL 
FLIGHTS BETWEEN MOROCCO AND LIBYA CEASED AS OF 15 APRIL.  THE 
LIBYAN AIRLINES OFFICE IN CASABLANCA REMAINS OPEN, BUT DOES NOT 
SELL TICKETS OR BOOK RESERVATIONS TO LIBYA.  THE LIBYAN 
DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE (18 LIBYAN DIPLOMATS AND ADMINISTRATIVE 
PERSONNEL) IN RABAT, HOWEVER, HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED.  APPARENTLY 
THE GOM IS CONCERNED THAT AN EFFORT TO FORCE A REDUCTION IN THE 
LIBYAN DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE WOULD RESULT IN LIBYAN RETALIATION, 
WHICH WOULD IN TURN IMPACT ON THE GOM'S ABILITY TO PROTECT 
MOROCCAN RESIDENTS IN LIBYA.  (COMMENT:  THE GOM CLAIMS THAT 
THERE ARE CA. 100,000 MOROCCANS LIVING IN LIBYA.) 
 
VREELAND.