PRIORITY AREAS FOR INL SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND

UNCLAS RABAT 000545

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR INL/AAE - AARON ALTON AND ISN/ECC - VENNIE PSAROS
STATE ALSO FOR S/CT, DS/ATA, L/LEI, INR/CYBER, NEA/RA AND
NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PHUM EAID EXBS KJUS ASEC KCRM MO
SUBJECT: PRIORITY AREAS FOR INL SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND
COORDINATION IN MOROCCO

REF: A. RABAT 0443 (NOTAL)

B. RABAT 0408 (NOTAL)

C. RABAT 0161 (NOTAL)

D. RABAT 0151 (NOTAL)


1. (SBU) Summary: Mission-wide meetings and encounters with
the top Moroccan law enforcement and justice officials with
INL and NEA/MAG confirm there is excellent prospect for
expanded collaboration across the range of law and justice
assistance programs. USG support for Moroccan judicial
reform, customs training, advanced law enforcement training
in cybercrime and trafficking, and training of prison
administrators present fertile opportunities for future
cooperation.


2. (SBU) In an effort to better coordinate U.S. security
assistance to Morocco, the Mission took advantage of the
visit of INL Regional Coordinator and NEA/MAG Moroco DeskOff.
We organized a series of internal mission-wide meetings and
comprehensive, high-level discussions with senior Government
of Morocco (GOM) security officials to determine U.S.
priorities and Moroccan needs and to find areas where they
intersect. The objective was to clearly distinguish USG
assistance from operations and to build capacity in the GOM
while assuring the policy component to USG assistance.


3. (SBU) Post's priorities for future INL funding are as
follows:

-- Advisory assistance, through a legal advisor, on pre-trial
diversion and alternative sentencing;

-- Enhancement of the Moroccan customs training facility in
Casablanca, which would not only train Moroccans but also
nationals from other countries, and would include advanced
training courses in border management and protection,
radioactive material interdiction, collection and analysis of
data concerning fraud, and passenger control and inspection,
among others;

-- Cybercrime prevention and training for law enforcement
officials;

-- A U.S. familiarization visit for Moroccan prison officials
and management training for prison administrators;

-- Enhanced administration of justice training programs for
future governors at the Ministry of Interior's training
academy; and

-- Further training for law enforcement officials in the
areas of coast guard and border protection, anti-narcotics,
organized crime, money laundering, drug identification and
testing, and anti-trafficking. End Summary.

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Rule of Law
--------------


4. (SBU) The Ministry of Justice is finalizing a judicial
reform strategy aimed at creating a more independent
judiciary (Ref A). Morocco's focus on the need to improve
the judicial system provides significant opportunities for
U.S. assistance in this area. Mohamed Lididi, Secretary
General of the Ministry of Justice, emphasized to LEGAT and
POL visitors that Morocco views the U.S. judicial system as a
model and expressed a desire for continued cooperation in
this field, noting GOM progress on training judges and
modernizing tribunals (courts). Lididi, accompanied by Head
of Penal Affairs Mohammed Abdenabaoui (responsible for
prosecution, judicial management, sentencing, and royal
pardons) requested advisory assistance on pre-trial
diversion, a key factor in reducing prison overcrowding due
to the large number of pre-trail detainees. They would also
be interested in help with alternative sentencing, for the
same purpose. Lididi underlined a need for broad legal and
judicial assistance as he had discussed in his 2008 visit to
Washington.

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Prisons
--------------


5. (SBU) Echoing previous meetings (Ref B),Delegate General

for Prisons Moulay Hafid Benhachem told the Charge that
security and rehabilitation of prisoners remain his top
priorities. Generally wary of U.S. intentions, Benhachem
expressed a willingness to travel to the U.S. and view U.S.
methods of surveillance, administration and training of
prison administrators. In what could be an area to begin
cooperation, Benhachem expressed an interest in
"train-the-trainer" programs for prison directors. He told
us that he was not interested in training for prison guards
as they already go through a six-month course focused on the
penal code, law and human rights. He also expressed an
interest in post-incarceration training programs but noted
that the King Mohammed VI Foundation for Reinsertion is
already involved in this field. Post supports cooperation
with the Prison Administration as it seeks to reform
Morocco's overcrowded and underfunded prison system, which
houses a large number of potentially radicalized and
radicalizing Islamist prisoners.

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Customs and Borders
--------------


6. (SBU) Customs and border officials underlined advanced
training as their biggest need. The Director of Resources
and Training in the Moroccan Customs Administration, Saadia
Alaoui Abdellaoui, noted that the Moroccan customs training
center currently provides instruction to all Moroccan customs
officials as well as to officials from other Arab and African
countries. She underlined the need for more practical,
hands-on training and noted that the training center lacked
scanners and other equipment currently used at border
check-points. The Director of the Moroccan Customs Training
Center, Abderrazak El Mergaoui, told EconOff that the
training center is in need of desk-top and laptop computers,
digital video conferencing equipment and customs training
documents in French or Arabic. The training center would
welcome practical operational training from U.S. customs
experts, he said.


7. (SBU) Abdellaoui expressed appreciation for previous
customs-related programs including training to combat money
laundering, terrorism and narcotics trafficking. Advanced
training in border management and protection, radioactive
material interdiction, chemical weapons interdiction,
collection and analysis of data concerning fraud, passenger
control and inspection would be welcome, she said. The
Mission believes support for customs training would
strengthen cooperation with the Moroccan Government, while
increasing security and decreasing illegal activities through
better protection of border areas.

--------------
Law Enforcement
--------------


8. (SBU) Emphasizing the reforms undertaken by Morocco in
the field of human rights, Director General of National
Security Cherki Drais (Chief of the National Police Force
responsible for all local urban policing and entry at
frontiers) expressed a hope that human rights would provide a
good foundation on which to strengthen cooperation. He noted
that human rights concepts are included in Morocco's training
programs and thanked the U.S. for the more than 30 training
exercises already conducted with Morocco. Assistance in
combating cybercrime and money laundering, conducting
internet monitoring, intelligence gathering, profiling and
DNA testing, and canine or horse training are areas of need,
he stated, adding additional train-the-trainer courses would
be useful. He hopes to establish a yearly commission with
the U.S. to review and plan training programs.


9. (SBU) The Royal Gendarmerie, a civilian police force
under the Ministry of Defense with jurisdiction in rural
areas, emphasized the need for further training in the areas
of coastal and border protection, anti-narcotics, organized
crime, money laundering, hostage situations, and interdiction
of all kinds of trafficking, including human, drug, and arms.
It was particularly concerned about cybercrime, saying it
was unprepared to deal with this issue and asked for U.S.
training and equipment assistance. (Note: See Ref C for
further information on law enforcement training needs. End
Note.) Post believes additional support for Moroccan law
enforcement officers would improve bilateral cooperation,

while increasing the capacity of the GOM to respond to
criminal activities.

--------------
Ministry of the Interior
--------------


10. (SBU) Rachid Rguibi, Governor in Charge of International
Cooperation, requested support for the Ministry of the
Interior's (MOI,s) training academy at Kenitra which trains
future governors (Ref D). Specifically, he expressed an
interest in exchange programs between U.S. training academies
and the MOI's school for governors. Post has organized
lectures by visiting U.S. professors from National Defense
University in the past and hopes to continue this cooperation.


11. (SBU) Governor Khalid Zerouali, MOI Governor in Charge
of Migration and Border Security, stated that he was pleased
with MOI's improved DOD relationship and &in general8 with
the Embassy, but opined that there are ¬ enough
tangibles8 delivered by the U.S. to Morocco. He complained
about the &meager8 amounts of money invested in Morocco
saying that USD 3-4 million was not sufficient (and less than
what the GOM receives from Europe),but balked at the idea of
an assessment to determine additional Moroccan needs saying
that Morocco had been assessed repeatedly with minimal
results.


12. (SBU) "The Ministry of the Interior lacks much basic
equipment but has been well trained and does not require
additional training, except in the area of cybercrime, which
is a need," Zerouali stated. He expressed an interest in a
conference focused on drug investigations, bringing together
countries from South America and Asia to discuss their
experiences in drug interdictions. He requested
communication equipment and vehicles for use in drug
interdiction activities, possibly through excess defense
articles. Courses such as drug identification and field
testing kits for security services along the border could be
appropriate. Post notes that drugs from Morocco flow
primarily to Europe.

--------------
Mission Priorities for INL Funding
--------------


13. (SBU) The mission's priorities for future INL funding
are as follows:

-- Advisory assistance, through a legal advisor, on pre-trial
diversion and alternative sentencing;

-- Enhanced support for the Moroccan customs training
facility in Casablanca, which would not only train Moroccans
but also nationals from other countries, and would include
advanced training courses in border management and
protection, radioactive material interdiction, chemical
weapons interdiction, collection and analysis of data
concerning fraud, and passenger control and inspection, among
others;

-- Cybercrime prevention and training for law enforcement
officials;

-- A U.S. familiarization visit for Moroccan prison
officials, and management training for prison administrators;

-- Enhanced administration of justice training programs for
future governors at the Ministry of Interior's training
academy; and

-- Further training for law enforcement officials in the
areas of coast guard and border protection, anti-narcotics,
organized crime, money laundering, drug identification and
testing, and anti-trafficking.


14. (U) Primary mission point of contact is PolOff Siriana
Nair at e-mail: nairsk@state.gov or tel. 212-537-668-064.


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