A TERRORIST PLOT: EXPOSURE AND DISCUSSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 RABAT 001579

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2011
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL PINR MO
SUBJECT: A TERRORIST PLOT: EXPOSURE AND DISCUSSION

REF: A. RABAT 01450

B. RABAT 01540

C. RABAT 01516

D. RABAT 01504

E. RABAT 00918

F. RABAT 01371

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: On August 8, security forces reported in
the press that forty-four (44) suspected terrorists were
arrested in July and accused of preparing to conduct
terrorist attacks. Five of the arrested are Moroccan
soldiers specializing in explosives. The terrorists have been
widely criticized as a threat to "the societal project of
progress and modernity in which the country is engaged." (Al
Bayane, August 10) Press reports recognized the danger of
other cells in the military and the presence of a terrorist
threat which some said could be more pervasive than the May
16, 2003 Casablanca bombings. The unprecedented number of
press reports through August 22 point to the king's, and his
advisors' (the "makhzen"),desire to affirm the stability of
the country under the rulership of the king. The message is
that "everything is under control." End Summary.

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Comments
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2. (C) The unprecedented number of press reports (reftel C
and below) on this terrorist cell provide threads of
interpretation when understood in the context of the July 30
Throne Day speech and recent events in Lebanon. While the
front pages of the newspapers focused on Lebanon, the major
local story was the dismantling of the cell during the period
August 8-22. The press reports, based on unidentified
"informed sources," tell the story of how GOM security forces
successfully dismantled the cell. (Note: The cell was
dismantled in July, but not reported until August, following
the Throne Day speech, reftels A, D. End Note.) While
little "hard" evidence was shared by the informed sources,
security forces found propaganda, CDs and explosives at the
six sites (MAP, August 8). Five of the cell members were
members of the military, raising the issue of the possibility
of the military being "infiltrated." Throughout the reports,
the story's central theme is consistently reiterated: the
GOM security forces are working to rid Morocco of a terrorist
threat. Because of the security forces, the Moroccan
community, to which the king referred in his Throne Day
speech (reftels A, D),remains intact.


3. (C) One of the threads in the story is that the cell is
"pan-Muslim." In the initial August 8 reports, the cell was
identified as Shi'a (reftels B, C),with some reports saying
that the Shi'a population in Morocco is "growing"
(Liberation, August 10); whereas, successive reports
identified the cell as Al-Qa'ida, which is Sunni. The notion
that the cell was Shi'a, while it was quickly dropped,
allowed the reading public to conclude that terrorism in
Morocco does not emanate from only one branch of Islam. At
the same time, readers were able to identify with terrorism
in other parts of the "Arab World," making Morocco the same
as those places experiencing daily assaults from "insurgents"
or terrorists.


4. (C) Another story thread was that there were connections
between isolated terrorist activities in different places.
For example, links to the London terrorist group (August 7),
comprised of British citizens of Pakistani origin, were made
when the press reports noted that the same arms were found in
London as in Morocco; or, links to Iran were suggested when
the press reports claimed that cell members traveled to Iran
to study the Iranian Revolution. The detonation devices used
by the terrorist group were reported to be the same as those
used in the 2004 Madrid terrorist attacks (Aujourd'hui le
Maroc, August 22). Other press reports indicated funding
from Al-Qa'ida and other international accomplices; and, that
the leader of the movement is a former Salafi-Jihadist
detainee, creating links with Gulf movements. This thread
was further expanded by tying it to investigations by Spanish
and other European police which confirmed the fear of an
international terrorist network that will pose a threat to
Europe and North Africa (Assahrah Al Maghribiya, August 17).

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5. (C) While the press reports appeared to be open, there
were few details on the cell provided. (Note: On August 22,
however, the names of thirty-two (32) participants were
printed in the Arabic press (septel). End Note.) The
overarching story thread appeared to be that terrorist
versions of Islam could threaten Morocco's development as a
modern nation. The press consistently viewed the "dream" of
an Islamist nation as negative. (Note: The constitution
states that Islam is the religion of the state, reftel E, and
the king is the "Commander of the Faithful," which the
Justice and Charity Organization (JCO) refuses to recognize.
The press is denouncing the JCO's "dream" of the immediate
abolition of the monarchy and the institution of a caliphate,
reftel F. End Note.) What the press was really saying is
that a version of an Islamist nation other than that of the
king, the Alaouite dynasty, and what is in the constitution
will not be tolerated. Morocco prides itself on being a
"moderate" Muslim nation -- the message is that extreme
interpretations of religion cannot and will not be tolerated.


6. (C) In the king's Throne Day speech, he reassured
Moroccans that the country is stable and secure, reftels A,

D. (Note: Only the official aspects of Throne Day
celebrations took place, i.e., there were no crowds gathered
for the usual events such as horse shows or "fantasias." End
Note.) With the dismantling of the cell, it appears that the
press reinforced the message of stability and security the
king was sending on Throne Day.


7. (C) The latest press (August 17-22) has focused on
terrorist finance sources, reporting links with two wealthy
women in Casablanca, one of whom teaches religious lessons in
her villa (Al Ahdath, August 18),bank and money transfer
vehicle robberies, counterfeit money, prostitutes (L'Opinion,
August 18),and drug dealers, which some press reports
claimed ceased activities in light of the investigations
(Ahdath al Maghribiya, August 22). The press seems to group
all these illicit activities--and private religious
activities--into one overarching criminal network that
presents a threat.

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Newspaper Reports: Background for Comments
--------------


8. (U) French and Arabic newspapers from August 8-22 focused
on the "Jama'at Ansar al Mehdi," (Organization of the
Partisans of the Mehdi),a previously unknown terrorist
network, which was dismantled by security forces. A Ministry
of the Interior (MOI) communique affirmed that the cell was
not known previously. A summary of the reports is:

-- The 44 members of a cell were arrested in Casablanca,
Youssoufia (near Rabat),Sidi Yahya Gharb, Sale (Rabat's
sister city),Sidi Slimane, and Tetouan. Five of the members
were from the military and trained in explosives. The group
was led by a former Salafi-Jihadist detainee, Lahssen El
Khattab, who recruited, supervised, and trained radical
Islamists to handle explosives in the northern regions of
Nador and Ouezzane. Khattab was arrested after the 2003
Casablanca bombings and spent two years in prison before
being pardoned by the king. Investigations have shown that
the group planned to finance its terrorist activities through
bank and money transport vehicle robberies along with
contributions from its members. Explosives, laboratory,
communication, and propaganda material were seized during
home search operations. (MAP, August 8)

-- In a front page editorial by Abdelmounaim Dilami,
President of the Federation of Moroccan Publishers and
director of L'Economiste, said that members of the group had
a Shi'a orientation, were influenced by the Iranian
revolution, and made trips to Iran in order to study it.
"The Arab-Muslim world is the object of all sorts of
aggressions. Those that seek to destroy, to break the
economy and install terror in this country are
criminals...They must be combated firmly, because it is our
present and our future that they are destroying. The return
to a Golden Age of Islam is a senseless dream. On the other
hand, constructing a modern and prosperous Muslim nation is a
dream worth the effort to realize." L'Economiste August 9)


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-- Expert on Islamic movements Mohamed Darif stated that the
group is associated with "hard-line Sunni theology" and not
Shi'ism (Le Matin, August 9)

-- Recruiting from the military demonstrates a shift in the
recruitment strategy of terrorist cells. (Al Ahdath Al
Maghribiya, August 10)

-- Mohamed Darif stated that extremist groups in Morocco have
begun to recruit soldiers in order to secure weapons and
explosives. The possibility of arms theft for terrorist
means has raised great concern within the military. Security
sources reported that Khattab had chosen two areas in Nador
and Ouazzane to begin military training for his cell.
(Assahra, August 10)

-- Moroccan security is investigating the possibility of
terrorist sleeper cells within the military. Members of the
network planned to bomb a series of tourist sites and luxury
hotels, imitating the Sinai attacks in Egypt. The cell
planned for attacks to be more "violent" and "savage" than
the 2003 Casablanca attacks. Investigations revealed that
members of the cell had frequent contact with Al-Qa'ida --
the network strived to become an Al-Qa'ida branch in Morocco.
The Moroccan intelligence agency (DGST) had been alerted
earlier in the summer by Spanish and British secret services
about possible terrorist attacks in Morocco. (Al Ittihad al
Ichtiraki, August 10)

-- Senior military official, General Belbachir, was dismissed
as a result of the arrests. The soldiers arrested were
stationed at an air base in Sale and were recruited through
their wives, who were reportedly "very active" in some
outlawed Islamist groups. Most of the cell participants come
from the poorest areas of Sale, including Hay Arrahma, Hay
Ouadee Addahab, Tabriquet, and Layadiya. (Bayane Al Youm,
August 10)

-- "Terrorism is nourished by ideas developed by diverse
strains of fundamentalism that work, consciously or not, for
the intrusion of religion into the political sphere, in such
a way that all political, economic, social, and cultural
activity is judged by ancient Islamic criteria, and
especially Shari'a...(One must state) sadly that the
ideological fight against fundamentalism, which spawns
terrorism, is not being led in all echelons and by all. If,
in the heart of society, certain political and civil society
organizations, and, if at levels of the state apparatus
certain ministers and agencies, make the necessary effort to
analyze the dangers of fundamentalism and adopt clear and
strict responses...(Note: The paper is accusing the GOM of
not sufficiently responding to the terrorist threat political
Islam can bring, as it hopes political Islam will
counterbalance the "Left." End Note.) (This is) because they
are minimizing the gravity of the phenomenon, considering
that moderate Islamism could be managed by making it an
essential component of society. (This is) because (in their)
calculations, politicians aim to make political Islam a
counterweight to the revolutionary ideas of the left, who
laud the extension of freedoms, of integral democracy and of
social justice as a solution to class struggle and capitalist
exploitation." (Al Bayane, August 10)

-- "After the proliferation of Wahhabi movements, now is the
turn for the Shi'a networks to establish a foothold in
Morocco...(Moroccan officials) have, for a long time,
encouraged the establishment and the diffusion of the Wahhabi
ideology. Various reasons linked to foreign policy and
public finances justified this choice. The May 16 terrorist
attacks ended this honeymoon., The hardening of tone and
of method have indeed put the sympathizers of this strain
behind bars. In addition, according to certain sources, the
number of Shi'ites in Morocco is growing. The official
attitude towards this trend of thinking has (discouraged) its
members from evincing clearly their belief. The dismantling
of the terrorist group Jama'at Ansar al Mehdi, highlights
the weight of this group, which succeeded in enrolling five
soldiers who are experts in explosives. (This) must surely
(cause) the different military intelligence services (to
question) the number of extremist soldiers in the ranks of
Royal Army Forces." (Liberation, August 10)

-- "We have to be aware that we are not out of danger and

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that what could come could be worse than the May 16 terrorist
actions." (Al Ittihad al Ichtiraki, August 10)

-- Khattab nominated Yassin al-Wardi (aka Abu Abdallah),a
retired soldier, to be the "Amir" in charge of the cell.
(Assabah, August 11)

-- "The dismantlement of the terrorist network in Morocco
shows that Morocco is still under a terrorist
threat...Morocco is a Muslim country and religion is (an
issue) between the individual and his creator. (Generating
support by resorting to) a populism that is facile but
politically profitable, all the while maintain a Manichean
vision, is no longer tenable. One should stop playing with
fire." (Independent French-language daily Aujourd'hui le
Maroc, August 11)

-- "If the dismantlement of the Ansar al Mehdi, network
did not draw our political leaders out of their summer torpor
-- which is indeed identical to the other seasons -- then
there are some real worries for the future of this country.
Apart from some rare professional (reactions) from the print
media...the public broadcast media pole was (operating with)
minimum services -- which is already the rule in normal times
-- exacerbated by summer hours, vacations and the ostensible
resignation of certain officials...We repeat, once again,
that the criminal banalization of fundamentalist posturing,
generated by grave political compromises, has ended up
weakening the immune defenses of society. The Salafist
fundamentalists are taking advantage of this enormous failure
of Moroccan democracy." (Aujourd'hui le Maroc, August 11)

-- Khalid Naciri, member of the Political Bureau of the PPS,
said that Morocco is "still in the eye of the tornado
and that Morocco is "not out of the danger zone." He called
on people to remain "vigilant in order to protect our society
and the modernist and democratic option for which Morocco has
opted." The participation of soldiers in the terrorist
activities indicates that "no institution is immune from
danger," but he insisted that the Royal Armed Forces (RAF)
were still "sane" and that those arrested were "isolated
individuals that belong to an institution we must protect."
(Al Bayane, August 14)

-- A front page article described dismissals in the army
following the arrests, including that of Casablanca military
base chief Major Col Morad Belhsen, and the reorganization of
the Secret Services (DEST). (Note: Senior military official
General Belbachir was dismissed. End Note.) Leaders of the
Koutla (Note: The Koutla is the democratic alliance of the
USFP, Istiqlal, and the PPS. End Note.) warned that Morocco
is still under the threat of terrorism. Media outlets are
asking authorities to reveal to the public the material
seized during the arrests. At least three more arrests were
made during the weekend (August 12-13) and authorities are
still searching for important members of the cell in the
northern city of Ouzzane. (Al Ittihad al Ichtiraki, August
14)

-- Moroccan authorities tightened security procedures in
order to prevent members of the cell from escaping the
country. (Assahrae al Maghribiya, August 14)

-- The second batch of defendants of the terrorist group,
which constitute the "military wing," are expected to be
brought before the investigating judge in charge of terrorism
at the Rabat Court of Appeals. The wing is considered "the
most dangerous." On August 11, the national judiciary police
brought nine new suspects, in addition to the first 32-member
batch of defendants, before the public prosecutor in Rabat.
Despite media reports that there were two women involved, the
defendants are all male. The ages of the men indicate that
they were "in the early stages of their professional careers,
contrary to earlier reports that they were retired military
personnel." Highly sophisticated tools were seized that
resembled those found in connection with the terrorist plot
recently dismantled in Britain. The network had planned
suicide operations in hotels, following "Zarqawi,s model."
The first attack was planned on the military base in Sale
where the soldiers worked and included "liquidating" military
personnel serving on the base. The extremists planned to use
cell phones to detonate explosions. Authorities are
searching for a four-member gang that is suspected of having

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ties with the terrorist network. The gang stole 100,000
dirhams (approximately USD 12,000) from a Western Union
agency in Settat, 40 km from Casablanca. (Assabah, August 14)

-- The police are searching for warehouses of weapons. There
are many Islamist leaders in the Ansar , group, and not
just Khattab -- many of the new members are "well-educated"
and "specialized in technology." An anonymous government
official stated that "the security agencies are doing their
work" and that "the Moroccan political class is unanimous
behind opposing terrorism." (Al Ittihad al Ichtiraki, August
15)

-- The leaders of the terrorist network have ties with drug
dealers in the North which financially assist their
activities. Police discovered a video tape introducing
Ansar al Mehdi,, which the group intended to make public
after its first terrorist action in Morocco. There may be
many more than five soldiers involved -- other "Islamist
soldiers," especially single soldiers at the Sale military
base, are being questioned. Some members of the police might
also be implicated. (Al Andath Al Maghribiya, August 15)

-- The group received financial support from Al-Qa'ida and
other unnamed organizations. The group's targets included;
the Sale military base, a famous restaurant in Marrakech,
military bases in order to steal armaments, and the U.S.
Embassy in Rabat. The group also planned to conduct a
suicide bombing operation in a Marrakech hotel. Sources said
that Khattab conceived his plan while serving his two-year
jail sentence for his involvement in the Casablanca bombings.
He planned to use prostitutes to blackmail targeted
government officials. (Al Alam, August 17)

-- Ten other soldiers were arrested under suspicion of
involvement with the cell. Investigations are taking place
in all military bases in Morocco, focusing on soldiers
suspected of having fundamentalist ideas. Investigations
indicate that Ansar al Mehdi, operates in a "highly
decentralized fashion," which has complicated the search for
its other members. (Al Ittihad al Ichtiraki, August 17)

-- Spanish police are on "high alert" after the dismantlement
of the terrorist group in Morocco. Secret services from
Spain and other European countries are closely watching
Islamic extremism from North Africa -- they are suspicious of
a formation of a unified terrorist group targeting countries
in Europe and North Africa. (Assahrah Al Maghribiya, August
17)

-- Two wealthy women in Casablanca may have financed Khattab.
One woman, Fatima Zohra (aka Um Sa'ad),received Khattab in
her luxurious Casablanca villa and held religious lessons.
Zohra provided up to 150,000 dirhams (approximately USD
17,000) to Khattab (Al Ahdath, August 18)

-- Members of the terrorist group detonated three homemade
bombs prior to their arrest. Khattab did not allow his
followers to pray in mosques. (Al Ahdath al Maghribiya,
August 22)

-- After analyzing the explosives tested by the "Ansar al
Mehdi" group, the National Brigade of Justice Police (BNPJ)
police found that they are of the "same category" as those
used in the 2003 Casablanca attacks, and the detonation
system is similar to that used in the March 11, 2004
terrorist attacks in Madrid. Yassine Ouardini, Badr Bouziki,
and Toufik Oukeddi were soldiers working at the air base in
Sale whom "established, in agreement with their boss, a plan
to liquidate several people and to conduct a series of
attacks on specific targets, notably in Marrakech." They
also planned to attack in the air base in Kenitra to procure
arms. The police also located the Khattab's "training camp"
in an enclosed area in the north of Morocco near Ajdir. The
group accumulated 70,000 dirhams (approximately USD 8,000) in
fake bills. (Aujourd'hui le Maroc, August 22)


9. (U) An article in the Algerian daily, L'Expression,
entitled "Purge in Moroccan Army Foils Presumed Plot Against
King," claims that the terrorist cell was expecting to
"overthrow the current Moroccan regime and set up an Islamic
state (caliphate)." The Royal Gendarmerie has "return(ed) in
force," to control an army that "has already attempted two

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putsches" since Morocco's independence. "It seems, however,
that this third attempt had different political motivations,
since it was colored by Islamism." The members should be
tried this coming fall. It is a possibility that some will
be brought before the Royal Armed Forces permanent tribunal
and others could be prosecuted by the Rabat Court of Appeals,
which has domestic territorial jurisdiction for terrorism.
L'Expression August 13)

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RILEY