SCENESETTER FOR SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000293

SIPDIS

STATE FOR S, P, NEA, IO/UNP, NEA/PI AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON KDEM KPAL AG WI MO
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR SECRETARY CLINTON'S MEETING WITH
MOROCCAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

REF: A. RABAT 0292

B. RABAT 0290

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


1. (C) Summary: On April 8, Moroccan Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Cooperation Taieb Fassi Fihri will present a
letter from King Mohammed VI requesting support for a
resolution on the Western Sahara favorable to Morocco and
rejecting a human rights monitoring role for the United
Nations peacekeeping mission in the territory. Without
prejudicing a policy review on the issue, it would be
important to underscore our support for a political solution,
with autonomy as a potential basis for negotiations. The
Kingdom of Morocco, a Major non-NATO Ally and one of our best
partners in the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA)
region, is a country in the throes of change and reform.
However, the visit follows a crackdown on Shi,a, Christian
missionaries, and homosexuals. The Minister is nonetheless
likely to press you to commit to attending the Sixth Forum
for the Future in late October or early November, which would
afford an opportunity to highlight U.S. and Moroccan programs
for youth, women, civil society and media. End Summary.

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


2. (C) Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri is coming
to Washington with a letter from King Mohammed VI that we
understand has been or will be delivered to the Governments
of China, France, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom (Ref
A). According to the Spanish, the letter requests support
for a strong resolution on UN Security Council resolution on
Western Sahara and asks that MINURSO, the UN peacekeeping
mission in Western Sahara, not get a mandate to monitor human
rights.


3. (C) Our response could contain support for an agreed
political solution with autonomy as an element, and
recognition of the importance of improving Moroccan-Algerian
relations. Morocco can do more to build confidence by
continuing to improve human rights in the territory, offering
political space to its opponents, even Polisario supporters,
and recognizing Sahrawi human rights organizations
sympathetic to self-determination. Morocco should also
decisively signal its abhorrence of human rights abuses by
punishing, or at least removing from the territory, well
known security officials accused of multiple abuses, as it
did in 2008.

--------------
Political Situation
--------------


4. (C) Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi's government, which is
built on a minority parliamentary coalition, has performed
better than most expected. A political movement founded by
Fouad Ali El Himma, an intimate of the King, has evolved into
the new Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM),which
could be prepared to lead should the current coalition
falter. Morocco's other 32 political parties, while becoming
more internally democratic, are structurally hamstrung in the
bicameral parliament. Although the September 2007
parliamentary elections were the most transparent in the
country's history, low participation, i.e., 37 percent of
registered voters, reflected a lack of voter confidence in
the institution. Amending the Constitution would be
necessary to eliminate the power imbalance and make Morocco
into a constitutional monarchy.

--------------
Forum for the Future
--------------


5. (C) Morocco and Italy will co-host the 2009 Forum for the
Future (FFF) meeting in Rabat or Marrakech during the last
week of October or first week of November. Morocco has been
a strong supporter of the Forum, and hosted the first in

2004. Secretary General Youssef Amrani, number two at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, is personally
invested in the Forum's success and believes that your
participation in the 2009 meeting is of utmost importance.
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs
Madelyn Spirnak traveled to Rabat on April 2 to coordinate
policy priorities, the agenda and organization for the 2009
FFF.

--------------
Human Rights
--------------


6. (C) King Mohammed VI has embarked on an ambitious and
continuous program of reforms that includes the Arab world's
first truth commission, a revised family code and growing
governmental accountability. However, many reforms are still
not deeply rooted in law or in the Constitution and could be
rolled back. Continued support and encouragement from
partners like the United States are essential. It would be
useful to note past progress on human rights and the need for
Morocco to take additional steps to stop abuses and open up
even more political space.


7. (C) Religious and Press Freedoms: While the Moroccan
Constitution provides for the freedom to practice one's
religion, and several small religious minorities are
tolerated, the GOM prohibits the distribution of religious
materials and proselytizing of non-Muslim faiths. It also
occasionally restricts Islamic organizations whose activities
have become political in nature. Morocco is protective of
the tiny remnant of its once substantial Jewish minority.
Morocco is a regional leader in press freedom, but criticism
of the monarchy, Islam and territorial integrity, i.e.,
advocating independence for Western Sahara, is restricted

--------------
Women's Rights
--------------


8. (C) The King has promoted equality for women,
underscoring Morocco's regional leadership in this sphere.
In January, the GOM reached an agreement with political
parties to reserve for women 12 percent of the seats
(approximately 3,000 elected positions) in June's municipal
council elections. (Note: Women currently hold 0.5 percent
of these seats. End Note.) A Middle East Partnership
Initiative- (MEPI-) funded project, implemented by the
National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International
Republican Institute (IRI),is actively encouraging and
training women candidates. El Fassi's government includes a
record seven women; there are currently two women governors,
two women mayors, nine female ambassadors, and 34 women
Members of Parliament. In 2007, the King instituted training
for women to act as spiritual guides, and they now represent
more than one-fourth of Morocco's religious cadre. These
developments have raised women's awareness of their rights,
and served as an important counter-radicalization element.

--------------
Counterterrorism
--------------


9. (C) The terrorist threat in Morocco emanates mainly from
small grassroots radical Islamic cells since the vast
majority of Morocco's population rejects Salafism and
Wahhabism. While there have been no suicide bombings since
the one across the street from the U.S. Consulate General in
Casablanca in April 2007, the Moroccans dismantled six
terrorist and foreign fighter cells with 100 terrorist
prosecutions in 2008. The GOM's implementation of a
comprehensive counterterrorism strategy emphasizing security
measures, counter-radicalization policies, and international
cooperation has been largely successful in containing the
threat to date. The Mission has also proposed an innovative
deradicalization program that focuses on youth and that
complements the government,s efforts. As "Commander of the
Faithful," the King, has standardized religious doctrine and
consolidated control over religious schools.

--------------
Economics, Trade and Assistance
--------------


10. (SBU) The economy is relatively healthy, although marred
by disparities in wealth. Growth is expected to be above
five percent this year, thanks to anticipated bumper
harvests. Since implementation of the U.S.-Morocco Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) in January 2006, bilateral commerce has
more than doubled. USAID, the Commerce Department and the
U.S. Trade and Development Agency conduct technical
assistance projects aimed at further opening Morocco's
trading environment.


11. (U) The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact
between the U.S. and Morocco entered into force on September
15, 2008, building upon USAID and Peace Corps, work here
over five decades. The five-year USD 697.5 million
economic-growth and poverty-alleviation program supports five
major projects, i.e., Fruit-Tree Productivity, Small Scale
Fisheries, Crafts, Financial Services, and Enterprise Support
-- all selected for their potential to increase productivity
in high potential sectors.


*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco
*****************************************

Jackson