Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RABAT200
2009-03-12 19:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:
MOROCCO: DETAILS OF MOROCCO'S DIPLOMATIC BREAK
how-toVZCZCXRO8021 PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHRB #0200/01 0711936 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 121936Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9780 INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0911
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 000200
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2029
TAGS: PREL PINR SCUL KISL IR MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: DETAILS OF MOROCCO'S DIPLOMATIC BREAK
WITH IRAN
REF: RABAT 0196
Classified By: CDA Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 000200
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2029
TAGS: PREL PINR SCUL KISL IR MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: DETAILS OF MOROCCO'S DIPLOMATIC BREAK
WITH IRAN
REF: RABAT 0196
Classified By: CDA Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: The senior Moroccan Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) official in charge of Middle East and Islamic
affairs told us that Morocco broke relations with Iran due to
Iran's negative reaction to GOM support for Bahrain's
sovereignty, Shia proselytizing activities in Morocco and
Iran,s unwillingness to explain its recent admonishment of
the Moroccan Charge in Tehran, the same reasons cited in the
MFA communique. We believe the GOM may also have been
motivated by the presence at a Tehran conference on Gaza of a
senior figure from the Islamist-inspired Party of Justice and
Development. The rupture, which reversed a long-term upswing
in relations, may have economic impact -- Iran buys Moroccan
phosphates and sells it oil. In any event, we detect the
personal involvement of King Mohammed VI, who may have been
looking for a reason to back out of a planned visit to
Tehran. End Summary.
--------------
Terms of the Diplomatic Break
--------------
2. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director General
for Multilateral Affairs Ambassador Mohamed Azaroual
described Morocco's severing of diplomatic relations with
Iran last Friday, March 6, 2009, (reftel) as a clean break.
On March 9, Azaroual told D/PolCouns that the Moroccan Charge
in Tehran had been recalled to Rabat last week, followed by
the GOM's expulsion of the Iranian Ambassador in Rabat on
Friday, March 6. Azaroual said that Morocco has ordered both
the Moroccan Embassy in Tehran and the Iranian Embassy in
Rabat to be closed, and their respective staffs to return to
their home countries "as soon as possible."
--------------
Moroccan Justifies Its Actions
--------------
3. (C) Azaroual, echoing official MFA press statements,
cited the Bahrain affair and meddling in the internal
religious affairs of Morocco, i.e., Shia proselytizing, as
the official reason for Morocco's decision make the break
(reftel). Azaroual demurred on providing details on Iran's
activities in Morocco except to say Iran's contacts with
several unnamed non-governmental organizations in Morocco had
crossed a "red line" of GOM sovereignty, adding that reports
from Moroccan intelligence services were "full of proof,"
regarding these activities.
--------------
Morocco Singled Out for Supporting Bahrain
--------------
4. (C) Azaroual also said that Iran's unwillingness to
explain why Morocco had been singled out among all the other
Arab countries that had supported Bahrain had also
contributed to Morocco's decision. The Iranian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs had gone public about calling in the Moroccan
Charge on Bahrain (reftel). Azaroual summoned Iran's
Ambassador to explain, and Morocco recalled its Charge. The
MFA failed to receive an explanation from the Iranians
(despite waiting over a week and follow-up calls from both
Azaroual and Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri to
the Iranian Ambassador).
--------------
Morocco's Take on Iranian Calculations
-------------- --------------
5. (C) Azaroual speculated that Iran's actions in the entire
Bahraini affair, and its follow-up actions with Morocco, had
been deliberate and calculated. Azaroual, who was Chief of
Mission in Tehran (1993-2000),said Khamenei Advisor
Nateq-Nouri (former Majles Speaker and Interior Minister) was
undoubtedly authorized by his boss, when he described Bahrain
as the "14th Province of Iran" in mid-February (reftel).
6. (C) Azaroual denied any connection between Morocco's
break with Iran and the recent visit to Iran by a delegation
of Moroccan parliamentarians, made up mostly of members of
the Islamist-inspired Party for Justice and Development
(PJD),but we have our doubts. The unofficial delegation,
led by the PJD's most confrontational leader Chamber of
Deputies member Mustapha Ramid, was in Tehran a mere two days
before the GOM broke off relations with Iran. Ramid
criticized Egypt on Iranian television, which portrayed him
RABAT 00000200 002 OF 003
as a quasi-official GOM representative (Note: Ramid was also
criticized by Egypt. End note.) Newspapers in Morocco have
been critical of the PJD's motives for going ahead with its
trip to Tehran despite the brewing troubles with Iran; the
most critical calling the PJD disloyal. The PJD had already
irritated the GOM in January when it tried to gain political
benefit by its public support for Gaza, including by sending
a Ramid-led delegation of parliamentarians to Gaza. The GOM
publicly admonished the PJD, which backtracked.
7. (C) In January 2009, Egyptian Embassy First Secretary
Tarek Darough told PolOffs that Tehran was expanding its
activities in Morocco. Darough said the Iranian Embassy, in
part through a cultural center in Rabat, had sent some 300
Moroccan students, some as young as 11, to Iran every year
for religious and secular training. He also said a group of
approximately 25 Iranian students were studying law and other
subjects at Morocco's Mohammed V University in Rabat, but
stood out because they already had PhD and Master's degrees
*- raising suspicions they had come for proselytizing or
other purposes. Darough added that Iran was attempting to
buy a refinery in Mohammedia, currently owned by a joint
Saudi-Turkish company that receives almost all of its crude
oil from Iran. On March 9, French PolCouns Frederic Clavier
told D/PolCouns that his government was also worried about
Iranian activities here. Azeroual had told him that day Iran
was picking on Morocco, which it could paint as a "stooge" of
United States and France.
--------------
Political and Economic Background
--------------
8. (C) Since the Iranian revolution, the GOM has viewed Iran
as a potential source of inspiration, if not material
support, for radical Islamic elements in Morocco. Bilateral
relations had been improving in recent years, with growing
numbers of Iranian ministerial-level visits. In return, Iran
had invited King Mohamed VI for an official visit that was to
have taken place this year, an offer never extended to the
King's late father. In an effort to mend fences with
Morocco, Iran derecognized the Polisario-led Sahara Arab
Democratic Republic (SADR) in 2000. Only last month
(February 16),the Iranian Ambassador to Morocco had publicly
reiterated Tehran's non-recognition of the SADR and its
support for the GOM's initiative to resolve the Western
Sahara issue.
9. (C) Iran is Morocco's principal source of oil. In the
last two years, Moroccan imports of all products from Iran
increased from USD 585.8 million to 796.3 million. Exports
to Iran, mostly phosphates, on the other hand, saw a drop
from USD 18.3 million in 2007 to 12.3 million in 2008.
Iranian investment in Morocco is negligible. By contrast,
Bahraini FDI in Morocco saw a massive increase from 2007 to
2008, shooting from USD 3.2 million USD from January to
September of 2007 to USD 53 million during the same time
period in 2008. These figures do not include two USD 1.4
billion mega tourism projects announced by Bahraini bank Gulf
Finance House in 2008. (Note: This a figure is likely
exaggerated. End note.) Trade is limited.
--------------
Taking it Personally
--------------
10. (C) Comment: Moroccan policy decisions on this have
almost surely come personally from King Mohammed VI, who had
injected himself early into the row with Iran with a high
profile letter of support for his fellow Arab royals in
Bahrain. He may have originally been motivated by his
growing ire at Iranian behavior in Morocco. At any rate, the
escalating reactions appear now to have gone well beyond the
Bahrain question. Iran's activity inside Morocco had been a
long-time irritant to the GOM and that the crisis provided an
opportunity for Morocco to check it. As Commander of the
Faithful, the King could not look kindly at Iranian efforts
to foster Shi,sm in Morocco. The attendance and public
profile in Tehran of the PJD and a member of the
not-quite-legal Adl Wa Ihsane (Justice and Good Works or JCO)
movement may have been the final straw for Morocco. We
likely have not yet heard the last word. Press today
reported that Hezbollah released in Lebanon an expose of
Moroccan-Israeli political and economic links, that it
appears could only have come from Iranian intelligence. End
comment.
*****************************************
RABAT 00000200 003 OF 003
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Jackson
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2029
TAGS: PREL PINR SCUL KISL IR MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: DETAILS OF MOROCCO'S DIPLOMATIC BREAK
WITH IRAN
REF: RABAT 0196
Classified By: CDA Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: The senior Moroccan Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) official in charge of Middle East and Islamic
affairs told us that Morocco broke relations with Iran due to
Iran's negative reaction to GOM support for Bahrain's
sovereignty, Shia proselytizing activities in Morocco and
Iran,s unwillingness to explain its recent admonishment of
the Moroccan Charge in Tehran, the same reasons cited in the
MFA communique. We believe the GOM may also have been
motivated by the presence at a Tehran conference on Gaza of a
senior figure from the Islamist-inspired Party of Justice and
Development. The rupture, which reversed a long-term upswing
in relations, may have economic impact -- Iran buys Moroccan
phosphates and sells it oil. In any event, we detect the
personal involvement of King Mohammed VI, who may have been
looking for a reason to back out of a planned visit to
Tehran. End Summary.
--------------
Terms of the Diplomatic Break
--------------
2. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director General
for Multilateral Affairs Ambassador Mohamed Azaroual
described Morocco's severing of diplomatic relations with
Iran last Friday, March 6, 2009, (reftel) as a clean break.
On March 9, Azaroual told D/PolCouns that the Moroccan Charge
in Tehran had been recalled to Rabat last week, followed by
the GOM's expulsion of the Iranian Ambassador in Rabat on
Friday, March 6. Azaroual said that Morocco has ordered both
the Moroccan Embassy in Tehran and the Iranian Embassy in
Rabat to be closed, and their respective staffs to return to
their home countries "as soon as possible."
--------------
Moroccan Justifies Its Actions
--------------
3. (C) Azaroual, echoing official MFA press statements,
cited the Bahrain affair and meddling in the internal
religious affairs of Morocco, i.e., Shia proselytizing, as
the official reason for Morocco's decision make the break
(reftel). Azaroual demurred on providing details on Iran's
activities in Morocco except to say Iran's contacts with
several unnamed non-governmental organizations in Morocco had
crossed a "red line" of GOM sovereignty, adding that reports
from Moroccan intelligence services were "full of proof,"
regarding these activities.
--------------
Morocco Singled Out for Supporting Bahrain
--------------
4. (C) Azaroual also said that Iran's unwillingness to
explain why Morocco had been singled out among all the other
Arab countries that had supported Bahrain had also
contributed to Morocco's decision. The Iranian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs had gone public about calling in the Moroccan
Charge on Bahrain (reftel). Azaroual summoned Iran's
Ambassador to explain, and Morocco recalled its Charge. The
MFA failed to receive an explanation from the Iranians
(despite waiting over a week and follow-up calls from both
Azaroual and Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri to
the Iranian Ambassador).
--------------
Morocco's Take on Iranian Calculations
-------------- --------------
5. (C) Azaroual speculated that Iran's actions in the entire
Bahraini affair, and its follow-up actions with Morocco, had
been deliberate and calculated. Azaroual, who was Chief of
Mission in Tehran (1993-2000),said Khamenei Advisor
Nateq-Nouri (former Majles Speaker and Interior Minister) was
undoubtedly authorized by his boss, when he described Bahrain
as the "14th Province of Iran" in mid-February (reftel).
6. (C) Azaroual denied any connection between Morocco's
break with Iran and the recent visit to Iran by a delegation
of Moroccan parliamentarians, made up mostly of members of
the Islamist-inspired Party for Justice and Development
(PJD),but we have our doubts. The unofficial delegation,
led by the PJD's most confrontational leader Chamber of
Deputies member Mustapha Ramid, was in Tehran a mere two days
before the GOM broke off relations with Iran. Ramid
criticized Egypt on Iranian television, which portrayed him
RABAT 00000200 002 OF 003
as a quasi-official GOM representative (Note: Ramid was also
criticized by Egypt. End note.) Newspapers in Morocco have
been critical of the PJD's motives for going ahead with its
trip to Tehran despite the brewing troubles with Iran; the
most critical calling the PJD disloyal. The PJD had already
irritated the GOM in January when it tried to gain political
benefit by its public support for Gaza, including by sending
a Ramid-led delegation of parliamentarians to Gaza. The GOM
publicly admonished the PJD, which backtracked.
7. (C) In January 2009, Egyptian Embassy First Secretary
Tarek Darough told PolOffs that Tehran was expanding its
activities in Morocco. Darough said the Iranian Embassy, in
part through a cultural center in Rabat, had sent some 300
Moroccan students, some as young as 11, to Iran every year
for religious and secular training. He also said a group of
approximately 25 Iranian students were studying law and other
subjects at Morocco's Mohammed V University in Rabat, but
stood out because they already had PhD and Master's degrees
*- raising suspicions they had come for proselytizing or
other purposes. Darough added that Iran was attempting to
buy a refinery in Mohammedia, currently owned by a joint
Saudi-Turkish company that receives almost all of its crude
oil from Iran. On March 9, French PolCouns Frederic Clavier
told D/PolCouns that his government was also worried about
Iranian activities here. Azeroual had told him that day Iran
was picking on Morocco, which it could paint as a "stooge" of
United States and France.
--------------
Political and Economic Background
--------------
8. (C) Since the Iranian revolution, the GOM has viewed Iran
as a potential source of inspiration, if not material
support, for radical Islamic elements in Morocco. Bilateral
relations had been improving in recent years, with growing
numbers of Iranian ministerial-level visits. In return, Iran
had invited King Mohamed VI for an official visit that was to
have taken place this year, an offer never extended to the
King's late father. In an effort to mend fences with
Morocco, Iran derecognized the Polisario-led Sahara Arab
Democratic Republic (SADR) in 2000. Only last month
(February 16),the Iranian Ambassador to Morocco had publicly
reiterated Tehran's non-recognition of the SADR and its
support for the GOM's initiative to resolve the Western
Sahara issue.
9. (C) Iran is Morocco's principal source of oil. In the
last two years, Moroccan imports of all products from Iran
increased from USD 585.8 million to 796.3 million. Exports
to Iran, mostly phosphates, on the other hand, saw a drop
from USD 18.3 million in 2007 to 12.3 million in 2008.
Iranian investment in Morocco is negligible. By contrast,
Bahraini FDI in Morocco saw a massive increase from 2007 to
2008, shooting from USD 3.2 million USD from January to
September of 2007 to USD 53 million during the same time
period in 2008. These figures do not include two USD 1.4
billion mega tourism projects announced by Bahraini bank Gulf
Finance House in 2008. (Note: This a figure is likely
exaggerated. End note.) Trade is limited.
--------------
Taking it Personally
--------------
10. (C) Comment: Moroccan policy decisions on this have
almost surely come personally from King Mohammed VI, who had
injected himself early into the row with Iran with a high
profile letter of support for his fellow Arab royals in
Bahrain. He may have originally been motivated by his
growing ire at Iranian behavior in Morocco. At any rate, the
escalating reactions appear now to have gone well beyond the
Bahrain question. Iran's activity inside Morocco had been a
long-time irritant to the GOM and that the crisis provided an
opportunity for Morocco to check it. As Commander of the
Faithful, the King could not look kindly at Iranian efforts
to foster Shi,sm in Morocco. The attendance and public
profile in Tehran of the PJD and a member of the
not-quite-legal Adl Wa Ihsane (Justice and Good Works or JCO)
movement may have been the final straw for Morocco. We
likely have not yet heard the last word. Press today
reported that Hezbollah released in Lebanon an expose of
Moroccan-Israeli political and economic links, that it
appears could only have come from Iranian intelligence. End
comment.
*****************************************
RABAT 00000200 003 OF 003
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Jackson