TRANSFER OF TWO MOROCCAN NATIONALS FROM GUANTANAMO

S E C R E T RABAT 001569 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2011 TAGS: PINS PREL PTER MO SUBJECT: TRANSFER OF TWO MOROCCAN NATIONALS FROM GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA TO THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO REF: A. 05 RABAT 45 ¶B. 05 RABAT 339 ¶C. RABAT 38 ¶D. EWING EMAIL TO POST 08/02/2006 ¶E. STATE 134019 ¶F. RABAT 1547 Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Ambassador contacted Taieb Fassi Fihri, Minister Delegate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on August 18 to determine the status of his request regarding the Moroccan prisoners Mohamed Al Ahmed Rachidi (ISN 5590) and Muhammed Ben Moujan (ISN 160) being transferred to Morocco between August 21 to 25; and, one non-Moroccan being transferred from the USG arrival plane to another USG plane to complete his transfer to another country. Fassi Fihri told the Ambassador that, after discussions with other members of the GOM, receiving one or two Moroccan citizens would be approved, following the same procedures used in the last delivery. Introducing the new element of transferring a prisoner from one plane to another on Moroccan soil disturbed and concerned the GOM, according to Fassi Fihri. While the GOM is willing to accept the Moroccans, it is not comfortable with allowing the transfer of a prisoner from another country to occur on its soil, said Fassi Fihri. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** RILEY