MOROCCO NOTES OFFICIAL STAND UP OF U.S. AFRICA

UNCLAS RABAT 000956 SENSITIVE SIPDIS AF/RSA PASS TO JUN BANDO; NEA/RA PASS TO COL. STEVE SOUCEK; PM/PPA PASS TO EVAN FOSTER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PREL MO SUBJECT: MOROCCO NOTES OFFICIAL STAND UP OF U.S. AFRICA COMMAND REF: STATE 104550 ¶1. (SBU) On October 3, 2008, Deputy Polcouns informed Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Security Chief Karim Halim of the stand up of the U.S. Africa Command per reftel. Halim had no substantive comment but thanked D/Polcouns for the notification and said that he would forward the information to appropriate superiors within the Government of Morocco (GOM). ¶2. (SBU) In addition, on October 7,2008, Defense Attache informed Moroccan Royal Armed Forces Division of Exterior Relations Deputy Chief Mohammed Anesrif of the stand up of the U.S. Africa Command. Anesrif asked if there would be any formal diplomatic written notification to follow. DATT informed him that the exact same text had been delivered to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3 October. Anesrif thanked DATT for the notification and said that he would forward the information to the appropriate superiors within the Royal Armed Forces. ¶3. (SBU) Mission has received no additional GOM comments since. Any future comments will be forwarded as received. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ***************************************** Riley