Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RABAT1046
2007-06-22 16:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
how-toVZCZCXYZ0006 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHRB #1046/01 1731609 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 221609Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6778 INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3319 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 5724 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 4655 RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA PRIORITY 3148 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 001046
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, EUCOM PLEASE PASS TO SOCEUR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: MARR MO PTER PREL
SUBJECT: BRIEFING MOROCCO ON AFRICOM
REF: RABAT 965
Classified By:
Classified by Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 001046
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, EUCOM PLEASE PASS TO SOCEUR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: MARR MO PTER PREL
SUBJECT: BRIEFING MOROCCO ON AFRICOM
REF: RABAT 965
Classified By:
Classified by Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: The visit of an interagency delegation headed by
PDUSD Ryan Henry to Morocco June 11 to brief on AFRICOM helped
reassure the government and provided the opportunity to alert the
public to the proposed new command.
The delegation briefed a GOM interagency group headed by MFA
Director General of Bilateral Affairs Youssef Amrani. Amrani said
Morocco remained a stalwart ally of the U.S. He advised the USG to
proceed deliberately and cautiously, informing the public every step
of the way. This could salve public apprehension, he said. Earlier,
Amrani had told the Embassy that Morocco was not prepared now to host
AFRICOM or any element thereof (reftel). He stressed at the
briefing, however, that the GOM did want to be kept informed of our
thinking. A press release by the delegation was extensively covered
and while initial reaction was not broadly supportive, it helped
clear the air on reported Moroccan willingness to host AFRICOM. End
Summary
2. (C) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Ryan Henry at the
head of a diverse interagency delegation including PM Amb. Loftis,
USAID Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa Walter
North and NEA DAS Gordon Gray, joined by Ambassador Riley and Embassy
staff. MFA Director General for Bilateral Affairs (P-equivalent)
Youssef Amrani, was joined by Brigadier General Abdal-Jabbar Azzoui,
number 2 at the DGED, the external security service. MFA
participants included Americas Director Salahuddine Tazi, P/M and C/T
Director Karim Halim, and various staff. Although the side members
of the delegation were not introduced, there was no representative
from the Africa directorate (their absence later confirmed). The
delegation was briefed by Embassy Rabat Country team before
proceeding to the MFA.
3. (C) Amrani began by noting there had recently been an increase in
the number of high-level USG visits, which left the GOM feeling
well-contacted. Morocco, happy with its designation as major
non-NATO ally, in turn was committed to take actions to reinforce
relations. It appreciated USG support for the reform agenda and for
King Mohammed VI,s vision for a more democratic society.
--------------
BRIEFING
--------------
4. (C) Henry began the briefing by noting that the USG sees Morocco
as a partner He underscored that the USG was trying to consult with
its friends on the continent before making decisions--which have not
yet been made. Preliminary thinking was that AFRICOM, which should
be on the continent by October 2008, would be dispersed and nodal.
This was a headquarters effort and would not involve building bases
or stationing military formations on the continent. Most important,
the U.S. would not put anyone anywhere they were not wanted. AFRICOM
would be an interagency effort, with State and USAID, in which the
military would focus on civil action, humanitarian affairs and
security cooperation, including building local capacities for
stability operations. In sum, it would be focused on generating the
conditions to maintain peace. We would be in touch with other
allies, such as in Europe, and discuss the possibility of their
participation. AFRICOM, he concluded, would provide a high-level
policy advocate for Africa in DOD and USG policy councils.
--------------
GOM REACTION
--------------
5. (C) Amrani said Morocco has significant ties with and experience
in Africa. It had many diplomatic missions throughout the continent
and had participated in peacekeeping in Somalia, Central Africa
(DROC) and Cote d'Ivoire. The GOM believed the situation in Africa
and in the Sahara in particular is a real threat to peace and
stability. In addition to the well known conflicts in Somalia,
Central Africa, and Darfur, the continent remains plagued with
continuing widespread conflict between ethnic groups. The threat
from terrorists using the ungovernable spaces in the Sahel had grown.
It was also important to fight illegal migration, whose trafficking
routes were also being used by terrorists to move people and
supplies. The GOM was concerned about the rise of Al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
6. (C) Africa remained a priority in the Moroccan foreign policy
agenda and much needed to be done to stabilize the continent. In
order to tackle the security problems we have
to face grass roots problems. Priority must be given to durable
development, reinforcing democracy, respect for human rights, and
good governance. This involved the solidarity dimension, which
included the broad range of international donors and multilateral
agencies.
7. (C) Concerning AFRICOM, Amrani welcomed the USG initiative to
explain its ideas about the command. It was important for the USG to
go around and give governments its thinking on the issue, about which
there has been much discussion. It was equally important to inform
the public, and he praised the delegation's public relations efforts.
He urged that the USG proceed slowly and cautiously in setting up
AFRICOM, briefing the public every step of the way. He cited GOM
efforts to explain Moroccan participation in NATO's Operation Active
Endeavor. The government had been criticized for joining this
effort, which put it in the same mission as Israel and Algeria.
Patient explanation of the anti-terrorist mission and the terms of
engagement have helped to quiet public concern. In closing, Amrani
noted the need for any efforts to resolve conflict to remain in
accord with international law.
--------------
PRESS COVERAGE
--------------
8. (C) Press extensively covered the visit of the delegation and its
press release stressing that the US has no plans to base AFRICOM in
Africa. There was also widespread coverage of an MFA communiqu
denying reports (sparked largely by a GAO report) that the GOM had
offered to host AFRICOM Reaction was mixed. Arabic press was largely
critical saying it was another invasion of the continent by the U.S.
French language press was mixed, tending toward critical, but with
some press noting the importance of collective security for the
region. Pro-government press was careful not to comment, just
reporting the delegation's press release.
9. (C) PDUSD Henry has cleared this message.
10. (U) Department may wish to repeat message to African Posts.
******************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
******************************************
RILEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, EUCOM PLEASE PASS TO SOCEUR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2017
TAGS: MARR MO PTER PREL
SUBJECT: BRIEFING MOROCCO ON AFRICOM
REF: RABAT 965
Classified By:
Classified by Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: The visit of an interagency delegation headed by
PDUSD Ryan Henry to Morocco June 11 to brief on AFRICOM helped
reassure the government and provided the opportunity to alert the
public to the proposed new command.
The delegation briefed a GOM interagency group headed by MFA
Director General of Bilateral Affairs Youssef Amrani. Amrani said
Morocco remained a stalwart ally of the U.S. He advised the USG to
proceed deliberately and cautiously, informing the public every step
of the way. This could salve public apprehension, he said. Earlier,
Amrani had told the Embassy that Morocco was not prepared now to host
AFRICOM or any element thereof (reftel). He stressed at the
briefing, however, that the GOM did want to be kept informed of our
thinking. A press release by the delegation was extensively covered
and while initial reaction was not broadly supportive, it helped
clear the air on reported Moroccan willingness to host AFRICOM. End
Summary
2. (C) Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Ryan Henry at the
head of a diverse interagency delegation including PM Amb. Loftis,
USAID Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa Walter
North and NEA DAS Gordon Gray, joined by Ambassador Riley and Embassy
staff. MFA Director General for Bilateral Affairs (P-equivalent)
Youssef Amrani, was joined by Brigadier General Abdal-Jabbar Azzoui,
number 2 at the DGED, the external security service. MFA
participants included Americas Director Salahuddine Tazi, P/M and C/T
Director Karim Halim, and various staff. Although the side members
of the delegation were not introduced, there was no representative
from the Africa directorate (their absence later confirmed). The
delegation was briefed by Embassy Rabat Country team before
proceeding to the MFA.
3. (C) Amrani began by noting there had recently been an increase in
the number of high-level USG visits, which left the GOM feeling
well-contacted. Morocco, happy with its designation as major
non-NATO ally, in turn was committed to take actions to reinforce
relations. It appreciated USG support for the reform agenda and for
King Mohammed VI,s vision for a more democratic society.
--------------
BRIEFING
--------------
4. (C) Henry began the briefing by noting that the USG sees Morocco
as a partner He underscored that the USG was trying to consult with
its friends on the continent before making decisions--which have not
yet been made. Preliminary thinking was that AFRICOM, which should
be on the continent by October 2008, would be dispersed and nodal.
This was a headquarters effort and would not involve building bases
or stationing military formations on the continent. Most important,
the U.S. would not put anyone anywhere they were not wanted. AFRICOM
would be an interagency effort, with State and USAID, in which the
military would focus on civil action, humanitarian affairs and
security cooperation, including building local capacities for
stability operations. In sum, it would be focused on generating the
conditions to maintain peace. We would be in touch with other
allies, such as in Europe, and discuss the possibility of their
participation. AFRICOM, he concluded, would provide a high-level
policy advocate for Africa in DOD and USG policy councils.
--------------
GOM REACTION
--------------
5. (C) Amrani said Morocco has significant ties with and experience
in Africa. It had many diplomatic missions throughout the continent
and had participated in peacekeeping in Somalia, Central Africa
(DROC) and Cote d'Ivoire. The GOM believed the situation in Africa
and in the Sahara in particular is a real threat to peace and
stability. In addition to the well known conflicts in Somalia,
Central Africa, and Darfur, the continent remains plagued with
continuing widespread conflict between ethnic groups. The threat
from terrorists using the ungovernable spaces in the Sahel had grown.
It was also important to fight illegal migration, whose trafficking
routes were also being used by terrorists to move people and
supplies. The GOM was concerned about the rise of Al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
6. (C) Africa remained a priority in the Moroccan foreign policy
agenda and much needed to be done to stabilize the continent. In
order to tackle the security problems we have
to face grass roots problems. Priority must be given to durable
development, reinforcing democracy, respect for human rights, and
good governance. This involved the solidarity dimension, which
included the broad range of international donors and multilateral
agencies.
7. (C) Concerning AFRICOM, Amrani welcomed the USG initiative to
explain its ideas about the command. It was important for the USG to
go around and give governments its thinking on the issue, about which
there has been much discussion. It was equally important to inform
the public, and he praised the delegation's public relations efforts.
He urged that the USG proceed slowly and cautiously in setting up
AFRICOM, briefing the public every step of the way. He cited GOM
efforts to explain Moroccan participation in NATO's Operation Active
Endeavor. The government had been criticized for joining this
effort, which put it in the same mission as Israel and Algeria.
Patient explanation of the anti-terrorist mission and the terms of
engagement have helped to quiet public concern. In closing, Amrani
noted the need for any efforts to resolve conflict to remain in
accord with international law.
--------------
PRESS COVERAGE
--------------
8. (C) Press extensively covered the visit of the delegation and its
press release stressing that the US has no plans to base AFRICOM in
Africa. There was also widespread coverage of an MFA communiqu
denying reports (sparked largely by a GAO report) that the GOM had
offered to host AFRICOM Reaction was mixed. Arabic press was largely
critical saying it was another invasion of the continent by the U.S.
French language press was mixed, tending toward critical, but with
some press noting the importance of collective security for the
region. Pro-government press was careful not to comment, just
reporting the delegation's press release.
9. (C) PDUSD Henry has cleared this message.
10. (U) Department may wish to repeat message to African Posts.
******************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
******************************************
RILEY