Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RABAT720
2009-08-25 11:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:  

MOROCCO AS NON-PROLIFERATION LEADER

Tags:  PARM PREL PGOV MNUC ENRG AORC KNNP MO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0720/01 2371140
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 251140Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0597
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0962
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1164
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000720 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR, T, ISN, PM, VCI, NEA/RA AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2029
TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV MNUC ENRG AORC KNNP MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO AS NON-PROLIFERATION LEADER

REF: A. STATE 083600

B. RABAT 0699

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 RABAT 000720

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR, T, ISN, PM, VCI, NEA/RA AND NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2029
TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV MNUC ENRG AORC KNNP MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO AS NON-PROLIFERATION LEADER

REF: A. STATE 083600

B. RABAT 0699

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


1. (U) Summary: This message provides substantive answers
to the detailed questions posed in Ref A regarding Morocco's
policies on non-proliferation issues and regimes.
Information requested in Ref A regarding key points of
contact in the Moroccan government was provided in Ref B,
with updates below.


2. (C) The Government of Morocco (GOM) sees itself as a
leading advocate of non-proliferation within the
international community. Morocco has worked actively with
countries like the United States, Russia, and France to
advance multiple non-proliferation regimes. It actively
supports strengthening the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
(NPT) and the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty (CTBT) and the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT).
Morocco is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),in
which it has played a positive and moderating role on
non-proliferation issues. End Summary.


3. (C) Virtually all decision making on non-proliferation
issues is generated in the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Cooperation (MFA). To the list contained in Ref
B of key Moroccan officials within the MFA that shape policy
on the NPT and other non-proliferation issues should be added
Azzedine Farhane, the MFA's Director of International
Organizations. He serves as the immediate supervisor of
Redoune Houssaini, the Chief of the MFA,s United Nations
Division. Farhane reports directly to Ambassador Nasser
Bourita, MFA Chief of Staff and Director General for
Multilateral Relations and Global Cooperation. However,
Houssaini often confers directly with Chief of Staff Bourita.


4. (C) When Acting PolCouns and D/PolCouns met on August 13,
2009 with Houssaini and MFA Head of Security and Disarmament
Bouchiab Omni to discuss Morocco's posture toward the

upcoming Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review in May 2010,
the Moroccans provided an overview of Morocco's
non-proliferation policy. Houssaini described Morocco's
policy as founded on the principles of peace and
international security, of which nuclear security is a
critical element. He said that Morocco abides by the NPT and
considers itself to be a leading global advocate for multiple
non-proliferation regimes within the context of international
cooperation and negotiated disarmament. In his discussion of
the spirit of Morocco's commitment to global peace and
security, Houssaini cited King Mohammed VI's July 30, 2009
Throne Day Speech, which stressed, among other things, the
importance of effective involvement in multilateral issues
and in resolving global problems. Houssaini noted as well
that Morocco's Embassy in Washington had received assurances
from U.S. diplomats that Morocco would receive an invitation
to President Obama's proposed conference on nuclear security,
for which Houssaini expressed thanks.


5. (C) Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: With regard to the
NPT, Omni considered it critical that the upcoming NPT Review
succeed in the wake of the last NPT Review's failure in 2005.
He said that the latest NPT Preparatory Committee meeting
(Prepcom) was encouraging and that all relevant parties were
near consensus on the language of the final Prepcom document.
In providing some constructive criticism of the regime, Omni
said there should be a mechanism for greater effort and real
work between NPT Prepcom meetings to discuss and "hammer out
points of contention" between various parties, instead of
just listening to countries' positions on the regime at each
successive conference. Without mentioning any of the
deadlocked countries' by name, he said that one of the most
significant areas of contention had to do with the NPT's
provisions for disarmament. While Morocco supports NPT
disarmament provisions, carried out through the Conference on
Disarmament (CD),Omni said that disagreements in this area
among various countries should not scuttle the entire review.


6. (C) Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: Omni said
that Morocco was actively pushing for the adoption of the
CTBT, a regime he described as "almost in force" as he
wondered, aloud and rhetorically, why it had not taken
effect. Omni stated that, working with France as co-chair to
the upcoming CTBT Article 14 Conference (to be held on
September 24, 2009 in New York),Morocco has tried to promote
practical measures to bring the CTBT into force and to also
devise new approaches to encourage new adherents to the
regime. Perhaps, he suggested, the focus of the new U.S.
administration will help in this regard. He added that
success with the NPT Review could provide important momentum
to the successful ratification of the CTBT.


7. (C) Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty: Regarding the FMCT,
Omni said that Morocco supports the treaty's goal of banning
production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium and
reducing existing stockpiles of the same. However, he said
Morocco foresees difficulties with other unspecified
countries in achieving the goal of reducing existing
stockpiles of fissile materials. He added that, as with all
non-proliferation regimes, Morocco favored a pragmatic
approach that consolidates gains, such as securing agreement
on the ban of new production, even if other goals, such as
the reduction of fissile stockpiles, cannot be achieved at
this time. Morocco remains open to innovative solutions to
overcome the impasse over stockpile reduction.


8. (C) Global Initiative for Combating Nuclear Terrorism:
Morocco has played a leading role in supporting the
U.S.-initiated Global Initiative for Combating Nuclear
Terrorism (GICNT). Working with the GICNT co-chairs the
United States and Russia, Morocco hosted the initial GICNT
conference in October 2006 and a subsequent conference in
February 2008. Morocco is currently in the process of
sponsoring a UN Resolution designed to promote the GICNT
regime at this Fall's UNGA -- an initiative supported by the
U.S. and Russia. Morocco has no known nuclear arms and has
only one experimental U.S.-built nuclear reactor. Morocco
also works with the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM),in which it has played a moderating and positive role
on non-proliferation issues.


9. (C) Comment: The Mission agrees with Morocco's
self-assessment that it has successfully carved out a
position for itself within the international community as a
leading advocate of non-proliferation, which, probably by
design, allows it to work closer with major powers such as
the United States, Russia, and France. Moroccan
interlocutors did not speculate on future Russian or French
engagement on these issues, but they did express cautious
optimism that under the Obama Administration
non-proliferation efforts would advance and the CD would see
new phases of progress. As a result, Morocco's status as a
leading advocate could be bolstered; alternatively, lack of
engagement by major powers could render that status
insignificant. End Comment.


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