MOROCCO MOVES TO HIGHEST LEVEL OF TERRORISM ALERT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RABAT 001145 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2017 TAGS: PTER KISL ASEC MO SP SUBJECT: MOROCCO MOVES TO HIGHEST LEVEL OF TERRORISM ALERT Classified by Amb. Thomas Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Minister of Interior Benmoussa proclaimed on July 6 a "maximum state of alert" citing a "serious threat of terrorist attack" based on "reliable intelligence." Despite a flurry of speculation in the domestic and international press, the alert is not based on specific threat information. Benmoussa and other senior security officials told us that the approach of annual holidays celebrating the monarchy, the elections at the end of the summer, the annual influx of expatriates across the (relatively porous) Strait of Gibraltar, and the continuing general threat from domestic and transnational terror groups all influenced the decision to elevate the alert level. While summer has long been a time of tighter security for the GOM, the announcement this year reflects the government's commitment to a more transparent approach aimed at enlisting public support in the government's fight against terror. The enhanced security posture has been marked by only a modest increase in police visibility. End summary. ¶2. (C) Moroccan and international media seized on the Ministry of Interior's July 6 announcement that security forces were being placed on their highest level of alert in response to a credible threat of terrorist attack. Numerous reports and much commentary in the media speculated that the move was linked to recent visits to Morocco by FBI Director Mueller, German Deputy Interior Minister Hanning, and/or APHSCT Townsend (although she did not arrive in Morocco until several hours after the announcement was made). ¶3. (C) Morocco's top security officials discussed the elevated threat level with APHSCT Townsend during her July 7 visit to Rabat. Interior Minister Benmoussa, Senior Royal Advisor Al-Himma, Intel Chief Mansouri, and others all confirmed that the decision was based not on any single report or incident but rather on the continuing stream of general but credible threat reporting and concerns that terrorists could seek to exploit upcoming events on Morocco's political calendar, particularly the "Fete du Trone" (Throne Day) July 30, "Fete de la Jeunesse" (Youth Day - which also marks King Mohammed VI's birthday) on August 18, and the parliamentary elections on September 7. All of these concerns have come in the context of a spring which saw the merger of the Algerian GSPC with Al-Qaeda, a spate of abortive (and apparently free-lance) suicide bombings in Casablanca, and more successful attacks in Algeria. ¶4. (C) In a subsequent conversation with Econoff, senior MOI official Khalid Zerouali underscored "credible" if non-specific information that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is planning "something" for this summer, and particular concern about the influx of Moroccan expatriates crossing from Europe for summer vacations. Zerouali expected the state of alert to hold at least through the September 7 elections. Since the announcement, the visibility of police and security forces on Morocco's streets has seen only a modest increase, though we have heard that all leave has been cancelled for security forces' personnel, a clear indication that this is more than a cosmetic step. ¶5. (C) A Spanish diplomat briefed us on July 12 about the unprecedented visit to Madrid July 10-11 of a senior Moroccan security delegation composed of Interior Minister Ben Moussa, Senior Royal Advisor (and Deputy Interior Minister) Al-Himma, Intel Chief Mansouri, Gendarmerie Commander Benslimane, and Auxilliary Force Commander LaNigri, along with Deputy Foreign Minister Fassi Fihri. While security consultations between the Spanish and Moroccan governments were conducted every year around this time in advance of the summer travel season, the diplomat noted, the GOM has never before dispatched such an array of senior security officials at one time. Our Spanish contact characterized the talks as moving bilateral security coordination to a new level. Another Spanish diplomat acknowledged that the GOS has passed some specific information to the Moroccans on Al-Qaeda in AQIM activity. ¶6. (C) More than three million people are expected to pass across the Strait from Spain to Morocco during the summer travel season, the diplomat observed, adding that there was mutual concern between the two governments that security measures for the crossing travelers were much more lax than for those traveling by air. He stated that Madrid was particularly focused on security in the wake of the Moroccan announcement, "any threat to Morocco may also be a threat to Spain," but said the Spanish government shared the general view that the Moroccan move had been precautionary rather than reactive to a specific threat. He further noted that adding to the security tension in Spain this summer was the wait for judgment on 33 suspects tried for their alleged involvement in the Madrid Train bombings in March 2004. A RABAT 00001145 002 OF 002 verdict is expected in September. ¶7. (C) Morocco's decision to announce a general alert also reflects the GOM's commitment, spurred by Interior Minister Benmoussa, to develop a more sophisticated approach to the media and increase the amount of information released to the public. The Ministry of Interior's increasingly transparent approach has been noted: an analyst observed to an Arabic Moroccan daily that the announcement was "the first time Moroccan authorities have used clear language and precise words about the terrorist threat." ¶8. (C) Also in this vein, press reported that Benmoussa and Deputy Interior Minister Fouad Ali Himma (a particularly close confidant of King Mohammed VI),took the unprecedented step of summoning senior business leaders from the tourism and transportation sectors for a meeting to discuss the threat environment, countermeasures, and the need for vigilance. They called on the private sector leaders to mobilize their workforces to be alert to unusual activity and suspicious persons as they go about their duties, particularly in ports, airports, railway stations, hotels and other vital institutions. ¶9. (C) Comment: It is too early to say whether the new state of alert will have any economic impact in areas like Morocco's booming tourism sector. While the Minister himself called for "extreme measures" and refered to a "maximum state of alert," there are still a number of stops the GOM could pull out if it became aware of a specific and imminent threat. The Ministry of Interior's evolving and more open approach to the public is indicative of the relative sophistication of Benmoussa and other members of the new generation of leaders in Morocco's security establishment, compared to old-guard security figures like LaNigri. Such openness and direct appeals for public cooperation and support would have been unheard of in the era of Hassan II, when the security establishment had a more uniformly repressive character. That said, the transformation and modernization of Morocco's security establishment is still very much a work in progress and is still beset by limitations of capacity and resources, and the persistence of old mindsets in the middle and lower tiers. End comment. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** RILEY