TERRORIST CELL DISMANTLED

UNCLAS RABAT 001504 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL MO SUBJECT: TERRORIST CELL DISMANTLED ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: ON AUGUST 7, THE MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR (MOI) ISSUED A COMMUNIQU THAT THE MOROCCAN GENERAL TERRITORIAL SECURITY SERVICES (DGST) DISMANTLED A TERRORIST CELL COMPRISED OF 44 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PREPARING TO OPERATE IN MOROCCO. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) ACCORDING TO THE MOI, THIS CELL, WAS RUN BY A FORMER SALAFIYA JIHADIYA DETAINEE WHO RECRUITED RADICAL ISLAMISTS. HE TRAINED THEM TO MAKE AND USE EXPLOSIVES IN THE NADOR AND OUAZZNE (TO THE NORTHEAST) REGIONS, WHERE THEY PLANNED TO PROCLAIM JIHAD. ¶3. (U) OF THE 44 ARRESTED, 5 WERE MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY AND HAD EXPERIENCE WITH EXPLOSIVES. THE MOI STATED THAT THOSE ARRESTED ARE SUSPECTED MEMBERS OF A TERRORIST NETWORK ACTIVE IN CASABLANCA, YOUSSOUFIA (200 KM. SOUTH OF CASABLANCA),SIDI YAHYA GHARB (NEAR RABAT),SALE (NEAR RABAT),TETOUAN (IN THE NORTH) AND SIDI SLIMANE (NEAR TETOUAN). ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNIQU, THE GROUP PLANNED TO FINANCE ITS ACTIVITIES THROUGH BANK ROBBERIES, RAIDS ON MONEY TRANSFER MOTORCADES, DONATIONS AND MORTGAGES. EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS AND PROPAGANDA WERE SEIZED IN THE RAID. RILEY