PARTY FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT HOSTS CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000633 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, R E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016 TAGS: KISL PGOV PREL PHUM MO SUBJECT: PARTY FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT HOSTS CONFERENCE ON U.S. DECISION-MAKING REF: A. RABAT 617 ¶B. RABAT 461 ¶C. RABAT 48 Classified By: Pol/C Timothy Lenderking for reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Islamist Party for Justice and Development (PJD) hosted a conference March 31-April 1 on "U.S. Decision-Making and Its Impact on Moroccan-American Relations." Participants included party leaders as well as rank and file PJD members, select diplomats, academics and NGOs. Guest speakers included PolCouns, Moroccan and American academics and party activists. The sole Moroccan diplomat invited to speak was a no-show. The two-day conference addressed such issues as the Western Sahara, the U.S.-Morocco free trade agreement (FTA),and the spread of democracy in the Arab world. PJD Secretary General Saad Eddin Othmani told Ambassador in an April 3 meeting that the PJD viewed the conference as a forum for dialogue on a critical issue for Morocco as well as a means for "training" the PJD "cadres." As a result, local PJD leaders had been invited from outside of Rabat to attend (ref a). Segments of the conference were broadcast live on Al-Jazeera, including the speech given by University of Maryland professor Louis Cantori. The well-organized conference, which follows on the heels of the PJD's late February conference on autonomy, was mostly free of the usual polemics and rhetoric so often heard when discussing American foreign policy in the Arab world and as a result, was useful for the dialogue engendered on both sides. The PJD's understanding of this issue will no doubt be even more enhanced once SYG Othmani embarks on his VOLVIS program in the U.S. in early May. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) At a two-day conference in Rabat, the Islamist Party for Justice and Development (PJD) examined the question of U.S. decision-making and its impact on Moroccan-American relations. Observers included party leaders, rank and file members from throughout Morocco, invited diplomats, academics and NGOs. Participants included American and Moroccan academics, former GOM officials, party activists and PolCouns. The sole GOM official invited to present on "U.S.-Moroccan Relations: Achievements and Perspectives" did not show. Slick programs in both English and Arabic and simultaneous translation facilitated comprehension by invited diplomats and American guest speakers including Dr. Louis Cantori from the University of Maryland, Dr. Matthew Anthony Evangelista from Cornell, and Dr. John Damis from Portland State University. ¶3. (SBU) A panel format followed by questions and answers brought together diverse speakers to discuss such topics as the role of the legislative and executive branches, political parties, think tanks, lobbies and "born-again Christians" in U.S. foreign policy decision-making; the impact of American foreign policy on the Arab-Islamic world; and U.S. foreign policy and its impact on U.S.-Moroccan relations, including on the Western Sahara issue. PolCouns spoke on American policy and its impact on Moroccan-American relations. The absence of the sole invited GOM official prompted several comments on the "absence of Moroccan diplomacy," in general. The speech given by Dr. Louis Cantori on American promotion of democracy was broadcast live on Al Jazeera. PJD-affiliated Arabic daily Al-Tajdid noted that the most important topics raised were the Western Sahara and its place in U.S. decision-making and the spread of democracy in the Arab world. PJD SYG on strengths/weaknesses of US-Moroccan relations -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) PJD Secretary General Saad Eddin Othmani opened the conference by explaining that the meeting was one in a series being organized by the PJD to promote a better understanding of international relations. Othmani noted that the party was focusing on the U.S. for several reasons including: the fact that the U.S. has great influence over world affairs; the need to better understand the U.S. in order to be better able to explain Moroccan views on issues; and because continued dialogue is a way to further strengthen already strong U.S.-Moroccan relations. ¶5. (SBU) Othmani expressed, however the PJD's recent "disappointment" with American foreign policy and the double standard he said had been used at the expense of the Arab/Islamic world. The conference was intended to demonstrate that the U.S. is not a monolithic entity, but rather hosts different lobbies and pressure groups which Morocco needed to identify in order to engender further support for Moroccan causes. Using the Sahara as an example, Othmani said that Morocco had had to work to rally "friends" and garner official support in the U.S. in an effort to seek a solution. While the PJD is opposed to many of America's foreign policies, Othmani stressed the need for opening channels of dialogue to improve mutual comprehension. Western Sahara: U.S. and Moroccan Diplomacy -------------- ¶6. (SBU) According to Al-Tajdid, the conference was highly critical of Moroccan diplomacy's efforts in the U.S. on the issue of the Western Sahara, charging a general ignorance about the nature and mechanics of American decision-making. John Damis asserted that the USG does not have a preferred solution to the dispute because the U.S. does not have a direct interest in the Sahara, but supports the parties in direct negotiations. He said that the USG also does not have an interest in playing the role of mediator. Former Moroccan Ambassador to the U.K. Khalil Haddaoui questioned the benefit to Morocco of its "supposed friendship" with the U.S. and characterized the role that James Baker played as UNSYG's Personal Envoy on the Western Sahara as a "disaster" for Morocco. ¶7. (SBU) Mustapha El Khalfi, a PJD member currently in the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship, who described the role that lobbies play in Congress, was highly critical of Moroccan diplomatic efforts in the U.S. He noted that the Polisario were much better at lobbying Congress, the most important points of entry being the House Subcommittee on Africa and the House Ways and Means Committee. He described that of the 100,000 Moroccans resident in the U.S., fifty-seven percent have American nationality which can be used as leverage with Congress. El Khalfi asserted that if the Western Sahara issue is not resolved within Congress, it will not be resolved. He ultimately described the decision-making process in the U.S. as a "jungle," in which Morocco must struggle to survive. While appreciating the in-depth focus on American decision-making during the conference, some observers, drawing attention to the empty seat on the dais meant for the MFA representative, wondered aloud how Moroccan policy decisions were made. "We've learned a lot about how decisions are made in the US, but don't know how the important decisions are made in our country," remarked one member of the audience. US Intervention Emphasizes Exchange, Engagement -------------- -- ¶8. (SBU) In his fifteen-minute prepared remarks, Polcouns dwelt on the theme of partnership, emphasizing how shared interests and values underpin U.S. policy toward Morocco. Countering ideas expressed earlier, Polcouns stressed that the U.S. was not seeking to impose its own vision of democracy on Morocco, but rather supporting Morocco's own efforts to promote reform and democracy. He sought to un-demonize the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), which had been depicted by a previous American speaker as an instrument of American political and cultural hegemony in the region. Polcouns said that Morocco, MEPI -- and by extension the American people -- sought to make a difference in people's lives. Polcouns applauded the fact there was a debate about MEPI in Morocco -- that was healthy, he said. But he noted that while some organizations were boycotting MEPI, women's NGOs in Oujda and Zagora, for example, were coming forward on their own to apply for and receive U.S. funding for their efforts to better the lives of women in their locales. ¶9. (SBU) On the Western Sahara, tempering the impression of U.S. disengagement created by Professor Damis, Polcouns said the U.S. was eager for a resolution of the conflict, and noted that its continuation had a dampening effect on the political and economic potential of the Maghreb. As signs of U.S. engagement, the U.S. supported MINURSO, and until 2003 had troops stationed in the peacekeeping contingent; funded confidence-building measures between the two sides; and in August 2005 had facilitated the release of the last Moroccan POWs held by the Polisario. ¶10. (SBU) Polcouns also highlighted people-to-people contact as an important aspect of foreign policy as demonstrated by the U.S. Embassy's work in Morocco. The sister-city partnership between Chicago and Casablanca, for example, was blossoming, bringing together artists, musicians, businesspeople, and local officials from both cities. The U.S. sponsored an array of cultural activities in Morocco, such as musical events and basketball clinics. The U.S. military was not just about "blowing up things," Polcouns said; in Morocco, the U.S. military had built schools and dormitories for girls in rural areas. ¶11. (SBU) Concluding, Polcouns said he hoped the audience took one important message from the two-day conference: not to fall into easy, oversimplified depictions of the U.S. or how our foreign policy is made. Alluding to Cantori's description of U.S. Middle East policy as a cabal between a few powerful individuals and the Jewish lobby, Polcouns stressed the array of actors representing a complex mix of voices and powers -- Congress, think-tanks, lobby groups -- that influence the foreign policy process. Polcouns stressed the importance of open fora such as the conference provided, which brought together experts, practitioners and interested observers. Polcouns concluded by stressing the importance of getting news and information about the U.S. from a variety of sources and above all of visiting the U.S. as there was no substitute for direct experience and contact. Free Trade Agreement Primary Focus -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Following PolCouns' intervention on U.S.-Moroccan relations, both panel participants and observers focused on the recently implemented U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA). PJD Parliamentarian Abdelkader Amara charged that in concluding the FTA, the U.S. had "imposed" its agenda and its interests on Morocco. He alleged that the Moroccans had not had the opportunity to conduct an impact study and were not expert negotiators. As a result, the U.S. had achieved an agreement which would exploit the limited capacity of Morocco and overwhelm its agricultural sector. Amara also charged that the accord was based purely on "political" concerns, and not grounded in sound economic principles. US Efforts Evaluated -------------- ¶13. (SBU) During the question and answer session, several participants raised questions about American credibility and focus in the region. One observers stressed that Morocco's prerogatives in the Western Sahara overrode U.S. humanitarian and cultural activities in Morocco. "We don't want your basketball clinics," he said. "We want your support on the Western Sahara." Another participant, a human rights activist from Meknes, expressed appreciation for U.S. efforts and programs to strengthen democracy and human rights in Morocco. But he said American torture at Guantanamo and elsewhere undermined the effectiveness of U.S. democracy promotion as well as the effort of Moroccan human rights activists eager to work with the U.S. Comment -------------- ¶14. (C) Emboffs attending the conference assessed it as well-organized and characterized less by the rhetoric typically inherent when discussing such issues as American foreign policy in the Arab/Islamic world. Indeed, many PJD members, including panel participants, praised PolCouns as being "courageous" for coming to participate and present the USG point of view. While the conference provided a starting point to deepen the dialogue and understanding, PJD SYG Othmani's upcoming visit to the U.S., his first ever, will be an important means for demonstrating up close and personal how U.S. foreign policy is made. End comment. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley