CHARGE'S CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER FASSI FIHRI:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 000172

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S, S/P, NEA, NEA/MAG, NEA/IPA, IO/PSC AND IO/UNP

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - ADDED PARA ONE MARKING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM PBTS KPAL WI AG IR IS MO MR
SUBJECT: CHARGE'S CALL ON FOREIGN MINISTER FASSI FIHRI:
SHARM EL SHEIK, IRAN, WESTERN SAHARA AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS
REPORT

REF: A. STATE 14575

B. STATE 13997

C. RABAT 0191

D. RABAT 0736

E. RABAT 0797

RABAT 00000172 001.4 OF 003


Classified By: Classified by CDA Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri (TFF) told
Charge February 25 that he would go to the Sharm el Sheikh
donor conference and looked forward to meeting the Secretary.
He believed that Mauritania should be included in what he
viewed as an Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) meeting there and that
the U.S. should do more to support reconciliation and new
elections in Mauritania. He praised the Mitchell mission.
TFF thought channeling Gaza aid through the Islamic
Development Bank would not help Hamas, which Qatar was trying
to assist. King Mohammed VI had sent TFF to Bahrain in a
show of support; now Morocco was in a spiraling spat with
Iran. Morocco was pleased with the visit of UNSYG Western
Sahara Personal Envoy Ross but disappointed that it had not
heard back yet from him on messages to Algerian President
Bouteflika from the King. TFF welcomed the release of the
Human Rights Report. Morocco did not agree with all of its
contents but was committed to the ongoing dialogue with the
Embassy, which had helped improve the human rights
environment. End Summary.


2. (C) Charge and A/DCM called on Moroccan Foreign Minister
Taieb Fassi Fihri (TTF) February 25 to deliver the annual
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and discuss both
Western Sahara and Middle East developments (per demarches
reftels). TFF was accompanied by the Director General
responsible for Arab/Islamic Affairs, Mohammed Azeroual;
Chief of Staff Nasser Bourita and Americas Director Fouad
Yazorgh. Fassi Fihri opened by assuring us of continued
close cooperation with the USG during Charge,s stint.

MEPP/Sharm/Mauritania
--------------

3. (C) At the outset of the 75-minute meeting, TFF moved
directly to discussion of the Middle East situation. He said
he would attend the donor meeting in Sharm el Sheikh, then a
meeting of the six ministers to discuss the Arab peace
initiative, and the subsequent Arab ministerial in Cairo to
prepare for the Arab League summit in Qatar. Morocco would
make a modest pledge for Gaza, building on assistance already
delivered, probably to help reconstruct a hospital. These
were challenging times, partly due to Iranian meddling
through various puppets. In response to Charge,s
transmittal of the offer from Secretary Clinton for a meeting
with the four North African Foreign ministers in Sharm, TFF
accepted in principle, noting that Morocco always welcomed
any effort at promoting harmony in the Maghreb region. He
wondered at the response of Algeria, given its refusal of a
trilateral last fall. He also wondered if he might be seeing
Secretary Clinton in other formats, including a follow up to
Secretary Rice,s meetings with the Arab Peace initiative
group of eight ministers in New York, just prior to the UNSC
Gaza vote in January. He stressed that he would welcome a
side meeting/pull aside.


4. (C) TFF also expressed concern at the exclusion of
Mauritania from what could be considered a continuation of
traditional USG meetings with the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)
ministers. Maintaining the fragile AMU was important, he
said. After Mauritania opened diplomatic relations with
Israel, Qadhafi had tried to call a meeting of the four
Ministers to exclude and expel Mauritania. Morocco had
opposed this, and it did not happen. While Morocco believed
that the putsch should not be maintained, there was a process
of transition underway that required both reconciliation and
an election. Morocco is a neighbor and had to deal with
whoever is in control, fearing a breakdown in security. So
far General Abdel Aziz has agreed to a free election, a
transitional government, and committed himself not to run as
head of the State Council or as a general; so he cannot use
the resources of the state to support a run. Returning to
the Maghreb/AMU theme he noted that the five AMU chiefs of
security (intelligence) had just met ) in Nouakchott. He
hoped the USG would reflect on this as a good initiative and
consider playing a bridging role in Mauritania. Charge
underscored that the U.S. also wants free and fair elections,
but we do not believe that elections on June 6 represent a
solution to Mauritania,s problems. Charge stressed that
U.S. policy toward Mauritania has not otherwise changed,

RABAT 00000172 002.2 OF 003


i.e., we could not accept the junta and insisted on a rapid
return to full democracy.


5. (C) Charge also noted the importance at the Sharm meeting
of staying focused on helping the Palestinian Authority (PA)
as the legitimate leader of the Palestinian people and to
support Abbas not Hamas. Mechanisms, including those being
considered by the gulf countries that could eventually
channel support through local authorities could undermine
that goal and the USG believed they should be avoided. TFF
said that Morocco believed it was vital to support Abbas.
The GOM had held steadfast against Hamas and anything that
could support it and had helped kill a Qatari proposal to
channel funds to Hamas. The Islamic Development Bank,
however, was not a terrorist bank. It was a standard,
effective and transparent method of delivering assistance
with a good track record and he did not understand why this
would be a problem. TFF claimed that Algeria would put its
USD 200 million donation not in the mechanism, but directly
into the hands of the local administration.


6. (C) In response to Charge,s brief on Sen. Mitchell,s
mission, TFF congratulated the President and the Secretary on
their choice of Mitchell. Mitchell was well known in the
region, and Morocco would do what it could to make his effort
a success.

Iran/Bahrain
--------------

7. (C) TFF said King Mohammed VI was troubled by Iran,s
aggressive attitude toward Bahrain and its manipulation of
Arab proxies. On hearing of Natiq Nuri,s reassertion of
Iranian claims to Bahrain, the King immediately wrote and
released a letter of support to the Bahraini monarch and sent
TFF to Manama to demonstrate this in a tangible manner. The
Iranians called in the Moroccan Charge in Tehran and issued a
communique via IRNA criticizing the GOM. Many states, such
as Tunisia had issued statements of support for Bahrain, but
no other has been so subjected to Iranian ire. In response,
TFF said he had called in the Iranian Ambassador to protest
the public complaint and recalled his Charge in Tehran for
one week of consultations. He believed that the Iranians
want to mobilize public support in Morocco for their
position, but Morocco would make its own public statement.
This would put Morocco in a more antagonistic position than
the Bahrainis, with whom Iran was rushing to make up. (Note:
The MFA issued a press release on Feb. 26 about TFF calling
in the Iranian Ambassador and expressing Morocco,s deep
astonishment at Iran,s approach and utter rejection of the
territorial claim.)

Western Sahara
--------------

8. (C) On Western Sahara, for once not at the top of the
list, TFF said that Morocco was pleased with UNSYG Personal
Envoy Christopher Ross, visit and believed that Ross had
sufficiently reflected on his mission and had made a good
impression. Ross, concern about avoiding an unproductive
fifth round was sensible and preparation was a good idea.
Ross told him that the UNSYG appreciated the key role of
Algeria, but he himself believed that Morocco still
exaggerated it. TFF said Morocco did not want to minimize
the role of the Polisario and understood that it was with it
that a deal had to be struck, but ... only Algeria can
convince the Polisario. The FM defended the presence in the
GOM Manhasset delegation of Royal Sahrawi Council (CORCAS)
head Kalihenna Ould er Rachid and noted that Sahrawi
representation in the delegation was a fundamental issue for
Morocco. The Polisario was not the sole legitimate
representative of the Sahrawi. The key to the problem, he
admitted, was confidence. The GOM welcomed Polisario
participation in elections in the Sahara, preparation of
cadre for future autonomy.


9. (C) TFF said Mohammed VI is now personally invested in
getting a solution and underscored the risks Morocco was
taking even by going down the path of autonomy. He was aware
of the importance of human rights, saying Morocco was not a
colonizer. The GOM was open to new approaches, a role for
former Algerian FM Brahimi or for a former PM, but wondered
whether even they would be able to move Algeria,s military
rulers. He said the King was serious about reaching out to
Algeria, including on security and had passed an operational
message via Ross. He expected that if Bouteflika had
responded positively, Morocco would have heard back from
Ross, but it had not so far. The GOM proposed a mixed
commission to discuss everything, even if the border was not

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on the table. Regional security discussions with the
Polisario as a participant were a non-starter, however.
Morocco would await Boutefilka,s re-election, he said
philosophically. Charge hoped that Ross could travel on his
next trip to the Western Sahara and speak to all the people
there. Just as you do, replied the Minister.


10. (C) Continuing the Sahara discussion, Charge handed over
the newly released human rights report and noted that the
embassy, as in years past, was going to publicize the report,
including with a press release in which he would note both
progress and problems. While the report addressed the
conditions in 2008 he wanted to raise two current concerns --
first, there is an impression that the admirable restraint
shown by security forces in the Western Sahara in 2008 had
slipped since the change in the Wali (centrally-appointed
governor) a few weeks ago. Second, he raised the detention
of a human rights activist, who had said that drug-related
corruption reached high levels. This was hard to understand
considering Morocco had arrested over 70 security officials
in Nador. Morocco has made progress in human rights, but as
outlined in the report, we still generally have concerns
about limitations on freedom of expression, impunity of
security forces, and trafficking in persons, specifically the
need for Morocco to establish a legal distinction between
human smugglers and traffickers.


11. (C) TFF appreciated the cooperation with the Embassy
through the human rights dialogue, which had helped his
Ministry convince others of the need for changes, and he
hoped it would continue. On the detained activist, whom he
said was well known under the name of Zorro, there was
concern that he had made scattershot accusations, possibly
due to mixed motivations. He said the King was determined to
act against drug-based corruption and admitted that the
government had already arrested over 100 security personnel
and civilians in the Nador ring, 70 percent officials. The
matter is now in open judicial process and we would have to
await the outcome, he said.


12. (C) Comment: Morocco clearly remains engaged on Middle
East peace and, as usual, appears to be sticking with Saudi
Arabia on intra-Arab issues. While it remains reluctant to
treat the Polisario as an equal partner in the Western Sahara
negotiations, the offer to Algeria seems sincere. Kalihenna
may be an expendable bargaining chip but not without a
bargain. The Minister accepted the criticisms in the human
rights report, without the all-too-familiar recriminations
heard from other quarters. Unlike in past years, he appeared
relaxed about embassy contacts with pro-Polisario activists
in the Sahara, a trust born of our scrupulous treatment of
their allegations. We believe he shares our view that the
report and our dialogue has helped push the security agencies
to improve conditions on the ground. End Comment.


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Jackson