MOROCCO: 1988 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 02739 S/CT FOR WHARTON E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PTER MO SUBJECT: MOROCCO: 1988 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT GOC STATE 42378 ¶1. (C - ENTIRE TEXT) - ¶2. FOLLOWING IS POST'S CONTRIBUTION TO DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT ON TERRORISM, KEYED TO SUGGESTED FORMAT. - (1) MOROCCO - (2) RELATIONSHIP WITH PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION: THE PLO HAS HAD A DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN RABAT SINCE ¶1971. GOM-PLO RELATIONS SOURED IN 1987 OVER THE SEATING OF A POLISARIO REPRESENTATIVE AT THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING IN ALGIERS, RESULTING IN THE DOWNGRADING OF RELATIONS AND DEPARTURE OF PLO BUREAU CHIEF ABOU MARWAN. RELATIONS WERE NOT BROKEN, HOWEVER, AND PLO RABAT BUREAU ACTING CHIEF MOHAMMED AL-ALAMI PRESIDES OVER A STAFF OF A HALF DOZEN, INCLUDING A PRESS ATTACHE, TWO SECURITY OFFICERS AND TWO SECRETARY- COMMUNICATORS. THE BUREAU'S ACTIVITIES, WHICH ARE MONITORED BY THE GOM, INCLUDE THE SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS STUDYING IN MOROCCO AND PROMOTION OF PLO VIEWPOINTS IN THE MOROCCAN MEDIA. EXPATRIATE PLO BUREAU STAFF MEMBERS ENJOY DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES AND ARE ACTIVE INTHE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGEABLE SOURCES, THE BUREAU MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO STAY OUT OF INTERNAL MOROCCAN POLITICS AND, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, TAKES NO PART IN ANY ACTIVITY RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. IN KEEPING WITH THIS POLICY, THE LOCAL BUREAU WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE CASE OF A PLO SPLINTER GROUP, INVOLVING FOUR TERRORISTS WHO CAME FROM TUNISIA IN AUGUST 1986 AND WERE PROMPTLY ARRESTED IN CASABLANCA. NASSIF