MOROCCAN RESPONSE - SUPPORTING IRAQ IN THE LEAD-UP

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000820 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL MA IQ SUBJECT: MOROCCAN RESPONSE - SUPPORTING IRAQ IN THE LEAD-UP TO ELECTIONS REF: SECSTATE 97443 Classified By: Political Counselor Gregory Thome, Reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) PolCouns delivered subject demarche to MFA Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and the Middle East Mohammed Azaroual Oct. 5, upon his return from the UNGA. The GOM shares the view that the security gains of the last 18 months and Iraq's long-term march toward democracy are not "reversible." However, Azaroual -- who served as Morocco's ambassador to Tehran during the Saddam era and maintains close ties to many Iraqis who were in exile there then and are now in the Maliki Government -- expressed serious concerns about the aftermath of the August 19 bombings and the potential for increased violence as Iraq heads toward elections in January. The Maliki government is losing the confidence of the population, in large part because of corruption and a continued inability to provide adequate security, he argued; while the August 19 attackers did not seek to provoke religous hostilities (as did the terrorists behind the 2006 attacks on the Samarra Shrine),they clearly targeted key ministries in an attempt to stoke further the growing public lack of confidence in the Maliki administration. ¶2. (C) Concerning an eventual resident ambassador in Baghdad, Azaroual said that Morocco's embassy is currently open, staffed by three mid-level diplomats who were not recalled after Aug. 19. Azaroual assured us that Morocco remains committed to supporting democratically elected governments in Iraq both now and after the January elections, and he emphasized that the GOM-GOI dialogue in Rabat and Amman, where Morocco's ambassador to Iraq is resident, is extremely active. (NOTE: The GOM co-hosted with the Iraqi Embassy in Rabat a moving event Oct. 2 to commemorate the 40th day of mourning after the Aug. 19 bombing. The Iraqis greatly appreciated the gesture, and Azaroual pointed to it as a symbol of Morocco's commitment and support. END NOTE.) That said, security conditions still do not permit the GOM to send a resident Ambassador to Baghdad, although Azaroual said the GOM would reconsider its position depending on now the security situation develops after the elections. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco ***************************************** Millard