MOROCCO: 2001 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

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