FBI DIRECTOR AND GOM DISCUSS TERRORISM, TRAINING

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001119

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2017
TAGS: KCRM MO PGOV PREL PTER
SUBJECT: FBI DIRECTOR AND GOM DISCUSS TERRORISM, TRAINING
AND TRAFFICKING

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

SUMMARY
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1. (S) In separate June 29 meetings, FBI Director Mueller met
with Justice Minister Mohammed Bouzoubaa, Interior Minister
Chakib Benmoussa and other top security officials to
encourage continued cooperation between the USG and the GOM
in combating terrorism. Bouzoubaa said that Morocco is a
target for violent jihadists because it is a model of
moderate Islamic democracy. He requested the USG's help in
extraditing Mohammed Guerbouzi, an alleged member of the
Moroccan Islamic Group for Combat, from the U.K. Benmoussa
linked the GOM's stance on terrorism to the Western Sahara
situation, characterizing it as preventing "another
Afghanistan" by blocking the growth of a lawless zone ruled
by extremists. Benmoussa thanked the director for the USG's
technical assistance and asked that it continue. End Summary.


TENSIONS BETWEEN TIMELINESS AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
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2. (S) On June 29, FBI Director Mueller, accompanied by the
Ambassador, the LEGATT, and an FBI delegation met with
Justice Minister Mohammed Bouzoubaa and his aides. Bouzoubaa
explained the value and role of investigative judges in the
French-based Moroccan legal system. Law enforcement agencies
are only allowed a few days' interrogation with a suspect
before they are required to turn him or her over to Ministry
of Justice (MOJ) custody. Investigative judges are not bound
by time constraints and can take time to elicit information
from, and develop a case against, a suspect. Morocco has
arrested 1,636 accused terrorists since 2001, and prosecuted
1,065, the Minister stated. The remaining 571 cases are
under investigation.


3. (S) Bouzoubaa provided Mueller with a verbal and written
overview of Moroccan counterterrorism efforts since September
11, 2001, saying that Morocco is a target for violent
jihadists because it is a successful model of a moderate and
democratic Islamic state. Poor, uneducated, and
impressionable youth provide violent Salafists with raw
recruits who are "brainwashed" by being subjected to jihadist
tapes, films and a skewed version of Islam. Some terrorism
plots originate outside Morocco, mainly from extremists
living in Europe.


4. (S) As an example, Bouzoubaa mentioned the case of
Mohammed Gerbouzi. According to Bouzoubaa, Gerbouzi spent
time in Afghanistan and joined the Moroccan Islamic Group for
Combat when he returned to Morocco. He is currently in the
U.K., which has refused GOM extradition requests, and has
declined to prosecute Gerbouzi in Britain, citing a lack of
evidence.


5. (S) Director Mueller stressed the extreme importance of
rapid information sharing on terrorism issues between the GOM
and the USG. He recognizes the need for official documents
generated through a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty for use in
court, but emphasized that at times the USG would rather
receive actionable intelligence immediately rather than
waiting for it to pass through official channels. Mueller
congratulated the GOM on its counterterrorism successes, the
recent passing of anti-money laundering and terrorism laws,
and expressed his condolences over a police officer's recent
death in an anti-terrorist operation. The Director agreed to
raise the Guerbouzi issue with his UK counterpart in an
upcoming meeting.


BUILDING MOROCCO'S TECHNICAL COUNTERTERRORISM CAPACITY
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6. (S) Subsequently on June 29, the Director, Ambassador
and the FBI delegation met with Interior Minister Chakib
Benmoussa, the Director General of National Security
(National Police),the Director General of Territorial
Surveillance (Internal Security) and their aides. Benmoussa
linked the GOM's counterterrorism activities with a need to
prevent the Western Sahara from becoming a lawless region
ruled by extremists, "like Afghanistan." He further
connected terrorism in Western Sahara and the southern region
with criminal behavior such as drug and human trafficking.


7. (S) Benmoussa requested continued assistance in
improving the GOM's biometric tracking capabilities at ports
of entry and internally, and noted that the GOM intends to

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pursue a DNA collection program. Director Mueller
congratulated the GOM on its progress and pledged continued
cooperation in the biometric field, and again expressed his
sorrow over the police officer's recent death. He deferred
to Ambassador Riley on the Western Sahara question, but
requested enhanced sharing of email, banking, telephone and
explosive data from the GOM. He agreed to continue to seek
appropriate training for GOM security and police elements,
particularly in the areas of explosives and biometrics.
Mueller mentioned that Embassy Rabat is working to establish
a program to train and equip several GOM bomb technicians in

2008.

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RILEY