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| Identifier | Subject | Date | Office | Classification | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05CASABLANCA1269 |
VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2005 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on December 9, 2005. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by representatives from CG, CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, and LEGATT, and DAO. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following [...] |
2005-12-10 14:25:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 05CASABLANCA1295 |
FINANCIAL SERVICES VOLUNTEER CORPS MEETS WITH [...] (SBU) Summary: Representatives of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC), accompanied by Ambassador and Econoff, met with Prime Minister Jettou on December 2 to discuss FSVC's programs and solicit Jettou's thoughts on Morocco's financial sector. Jettou described Morocco's business env [...] |
2005-12-16 15:23:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN EIND ETRD MO |
| 05CASABLANCA1304 |
THE EXTREMIST CHALLENGE IN CASABLANCA'S SLUMS: THE [...] (C) Summary: Casablanca,s senior urban managers are increasingly active and focused in their efforts to deal with the challenges posed by poverty and hopelessness in the city,s poorest neighborhoods. Their strategy is to counter the active Islamist presence by providing increased services [...] |
2005-12-19 17:39:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON MO PGOV PINS |
| 05CASABLANCA1316 |
IOM AND GOVERNMENT OF MOROCCO HOLD JOINT [...] (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (U) Marking International Migrants Day, December 18, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) released a statement saying, "More attention should be paid by the international community to the large numb [...] |
2005-12-21 11:29:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM SMIG PREF PREL SOCI ELAB MO |
| 05CASABLANCA1341 |
FRAUD SUMMARY - CASABLANCA [...] No summary [...] |
2005-12-27 16:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC PREL MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1020 |
VISAS VIPER FOR AUGUST 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met September 5, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the Acting DCM and attended by representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following 53 [...] |
2006-09-08 17:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1151 |
VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met October 2, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following [...] |
2006-10-06 15:41:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1233 |
MOROCCANS PROTEST HIGH PRICES WITH LOW TURN-OUT [...] (U) Summary: As Ramadan began in late September, so did protests in Casablanca and other major cities against the rise in prices of basic commodities. However, levels of participation were lower than organizers had hoped. This was due in part to the fact that the GOM gained union acceptance [...] |
2006-10-31 10:39:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1268 |
Ramadan in Casablanca: Why is This Year Different? [...] (C) Summary: According to press reports and personal observations, attendance at mosques throughout Casablanca during the month of Ramadan this year hit an all-time high and the number of youth present was unprecedented. Anti-Western rhetoric was not prominent in "official" mosques although i [...] |
2006-11-03 15:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL |
| 06CASABLANCA1286 |
VISAS VIPER FOR OCTOBER 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met November 7, 2006. The meeting was chaired by CONS on behalf of the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from RAO, RSO, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. POL earlier reported they had no names [...] |
2006-11-09 15:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1293 |
VISAS VIPER REPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-15 07:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1294 |
VISAS VIPER REPORT [...] No summary [...] |
2006-11-15 07:34:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1298 |
MOROCCAN NGO FOR CIVIC EDUCATION, DEMOCRACY [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The Forum for Citizenship is an NGO that promotes democratic principles, civic education, and open political dialogue. While its efforts have been successful, particularly in creating clubs to educate youth about democracy, it counts among its challenges regional instability and [...] |
2006-11-17 13:50:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PHUM PGOV PREL MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1308 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON MARITIME SAFETY ISSUES [...] (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) Per reftel, Econoff delivered talking points regarding the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) role in two maritime safety and security programs to Mohamed Marzagui, Chief of the Division of Maritim [...] |
2006-11-22 15:49:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KTIA EWWT ANET AORC PREL ECPS IMO |
| 06CASABLANCA1310 |
DESPITE LACK OF OFFICIAL ACCORD UNHCR EXPANDS RABAT OFFICE [...] (C) Summary: During a recent meeting at UNHCR's office in Rabat, Head of Office Johannes Van der Klaauw told Poloff that, although the GOM is dragging its feet on official recognition of the organization, he is pressing forward with plans to increase his staff and enlarge his office space. Th [...] |
2006-11-27 09:21:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PREF SMIG MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1314 |
VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met December 4, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, POL, RAO, RSO, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following [...] |
2006-12-05 07:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1325 |
MOROCCAN BANKS ON REGIONAL GROWTH, REFORM [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: A recent series of meetings with Morocco's three national banks showed that while they have distinct personalities, they share a strong interest in expanding to francophone Africa and other countries in the Maghreb. They also agree that the economic climate in Morocco has improv [...] |
2006-12-20 08:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1330 |
SPECIAL ENVOY RICKMAN MEETS WITH JEWISH COMMUNITY LEADERS IN [...] (C) Summary: During a recent visit to Casablanca, the Department's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Gregg Rickman, met with leading members of Morocco's Jewish community to discuss various topics of concern. Candid conversations highlighted the community's anxiety over possi [...] |
2006-12-22 10:32:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL MO |
| 06CASABLANCA1333 |
RED ALERT FOR MIGRANTS IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: A recent spate of incidents involving Moroccan security forces and sub-Saharan migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers has stirred fear and anxiety throughout the sub-Saharan population in Morocco. On December 23, Moroccan security officials rounded up more than 200 sub-Saharans [...] |
2006-12-28 15:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PREF SMIG MO |
| 06CASABLANCA142 |
MOROCCAN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: OVERCOMING [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Morocco's numerous professional associations have had limited effectiveness in lobbying for their collective interests and promoting social change and reform. Some observers cite conflict between so-called "old guard" associations holding back the reform efforts of newer groups [...] |
2006-02-02 17:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EIND ELAB ETRD MO |
| 06CASABLANCA165 |
FY2006 ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) PROJECTS FOR [...] Mission Morocco welcomes the Department's continued interest in supporting Moroccan efforts to stem trafficking in persons, treat its victims, and punish its perpetrators. The mission is very appreciative of Department's recent decision to earmark USD 183,344 in support of two anti-traffickin [...] |
2006-02-07 17:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM EAID ELAB KCRM KWMN SMIG ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA167 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JANUARY 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on February 6, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, DAO, PAS, and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the f [...] |
2006-02-08 13:50:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA232 |
MOROCCO 2005 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (U) This cable responds to action request (ref A) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from March 2005 to March 2006. --------------------------------- Morocco Remains [...] |
2006-02-28 15:52:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB MO |
| 06CASABLANCA235 |
NUMBER OF STRIKES UP BUT DAYS LOST WAY DOWN [...] This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (U) Summary: The Government of Morocco reported recently that the number of strikes in Morocco's private sector rose by 10 percent in 2005, compared to 2004. In contrast, however, the number of work-days lost to [...] |
2006-03-02 15:09:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB ETRD PGOV PHUM KTEX MO |
| 06CASABLANCA236 |
MOROCCO MACROECONOMIC UPDATE [...] (U) SUMMARY: Official Government of Morocco (GOM) figures confirm positive yet low economic growth in 2005. GOM officials cite high energy prices, an adverse agricultural season and unfavorable developments in the textiles sector as contributing to restrained economic growth. Unexpectedly, [...] |
2006-03-03 11:46:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EIND ELAB ETRD MO |
| 06CASABLANCA264 |
VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on March 6, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, DAO, RAO, PAS, and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee agreed that L [...] |
2006-03-08 17:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA316 |
WESTERN SAHARA: PERSPECTIVES OF CBM PARTICIPANTS [...] (SBU) Summary: During a three day visit to the Western Sahara, Poloffs and Cairo-based Regional Refugee Coordinator Cheyne had the opportunity to talk to participants in UN Confidence Building Measure's (CBM) family exchange visits from both sides of the berm (Septel from Cairo). On the mor [...] |
2006-03-24 12:53:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PBTS PGOV PHUM PREF PREL |
| 06CASABLANCA365 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MARCH 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on April 3, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, and LEGATT. DAO was unable to attend, but noted prior to the meet [...] |
2006-04-07 09:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA367 |
TAKING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CASABLANCA BUSINESS [...] (C) SUMMARY: Conversations with members of Casablanca's business community reveal an underlying discord between the economic priorities of the Government (and Palace) and the expectations of Casablanca's businessmen and entrepreneurs. While most business professionals we spoke with support t [...] |
2006-04-07 15:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EIND ENIV PGOV MO |
| 06CASABLANCA409 |
CASABLANCA SLUMS: IT'S NOT JUST SIDI MOUMEN ANYMORE [...] (SBU) Summary: On a recent visit to a local "bidonville" (Moroccan term for shantytown), Poloff and Econoff spoke with several young adults about life in Morocco, opportunities for youth, and their views of the United States. Officers also toured the bidonville, home to approximately 2,500 [...] |
2006-04-25 14:45:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PHUM PINR PREL |
| 06CASABLANCA418 |
YNNA HOLDINGS: A MULTI-NATIONAL MANAGED BY [...] (C) SUMMARY: Ynna Holdings -- one of Morocco's largest and most successful privately owned industrial and financial groups -- is a family-owned multi-national with business practices strongly influenced by Islamic principles. Ynna-owned supermarkets and hotels sell neither alcohol nor tobac [...] |
2006-04-27 13:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EIND MO |
| 06CASABLANCA435 |
LEGAL GUIDELINES FOR MOROCCAN DOMESTICS IN THE [...] (SBU) Summary: More than two years after adopting a new Labor Code, Morocco is finally working to plug a gaping hole left by the Code, a hole through which thousands of children slip each year. Morocco's Director of Labor, Abdelaziz Adoum, confirmed to laboff this week that a draft proposal o [...] |
2006-05-02 11:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | LAB MO PGOV PHUM |
| 06CASABLANCA45 |
VISAS VIPER FOR DECEMBER 2005 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper committee met on January 9, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, DAO, PAS, and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The committee has no names [...] |
2006-01-10 15:33:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA457 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: DESIGNATION OF FOUR JI [...] (SBU) Econoff met April 28 with Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) official Mr Azouz Aboulkouroum to discuss terrorism finance-related issues and to deliver reftel demarche concerning the designation of four members of Jemaah Islamiyah. 2. (SBU) Aboulkouroum was receptive to demar [...] |
2006-05-04 15:27:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN KFTN PTER XF MO |
| 06CASABLANCA489 |
VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on May 8, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following n [...] |
2006-05-10 16:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA523 |
AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES AML, SME LENDING WITH THREE [...] (C) SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION: Ambassador Riley met with the Chairmen of three of Casablanca's largest banks -- Moroccan-owned BMCE Bank Group, government controlled Banque Centrale Populaire and French-owned Soci,t, Generale -- on April 26th to discuss compliance with pending Government of [...] |
2006-05-19 09:27:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KTFN MO |
| 06CASABLANCA530 |
MOROCCO PROPOSES NEW LAW TO RESCUE LITTLE MAIDS [...] (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (U) Summary: On May 9, 2006, Secretary of State in Charge of Families, Children, and the Handicapped, Yasmina Baddou, announced the GOM's plan of action to end the practice of employing child maids in Morocco [...] |
2006-05-19 17:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB EIND ETRD EAID PHUM SOCI KWMN MO |
| 06CASABLANCA562 |
CASABLANCA COMMEMORATES THIRD YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF [...] This cable is sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly. 2. (U) Summary: On May 16 2006, the city of Casablanca peacefully commemorated those who fell to terrorism three years ago when 12 suicide bombers struck five sites around the city. Government officials, civil society [...] |
2006-05-25 09:23:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PGOV PHUM MO |
| 06CASABLANCA571 |
Tsunami Destroys Casablanca - Next Thursday [...] (U) On Monday afternoon, May 22, 2006, hundreds of Moroccan children returned home from school with a dire prediction that a giant tsunami would strike Casablanca in a mere three days. Some schools threatened closures and word of the disaster washed over the city sending people scurrying to [...] |
2006-05-26 14:45:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV CACS ZH ZT MO |
| 06CASABLANCA576 |
TERRORIST FINANCE: UN 1267 SANCTIONS AGAINST [...] (S) Post has discussed reftel internally with relevant Mission elements. Post does not object to the proposed designations of Moroccan nationals Mohammed Moumou and Farid Lamrabet. Post does not anticipate any negative impact of reftel designations in Morocco. Post also believes GOM would [...] |
2006-05-26 17:12:00 | Consulate Casablanca | SECRET | PREL PTER EFIN KTFN UN IT BE NR AG EG MO |
| 06CASABLANCA630 |
MORROCO BANKING ASSOCIATION INFORMATION FOR [...] (U) As requested in reftel, please find below the contact information for the Moroccan banking association (Groupement Professionel des Banques du Maroc- GPBM). The current president of GPBM is Mr. Othman Benjelloun, the Chairman and CEO of BMCE bank. Post looks forward to participating in [...] |
2006-06-08 15:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PTER KTFN ECON EFIN ETTC PREL MO |
| 06CASABLANCA631 |
MOROCCO SUBMISSION FOR 2006 REPORT ON INVESTMENT [...] (U) Post has discussed reftel internally with relevant Mission elements. We are not aware of any expropriation, other taking of property or contract repudiation by the Government of Morocco (GOM) in the past year. Please note post did not submit a report last year because only affirmative [...] |
2006-06-08 15:30:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV KIDE PGOV OPIC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA633 |
Diplomatic Note Received: Morocco's Terrorism [...] (SBU) On June 7 , Embassy received diplomatic note BZ/1673/DG7 dated June 6, 2006, from the Government of Morocco (GOM) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation's (MFA's), Office of Bilateral relations. The note is in response to recent demarches (reftels) encouraging continued efforts on [...] |
2006-06-09 15:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | EFIN KFTN PTER XF MO |
| 06CASABLANCA634 |
UNHCR PROPOSES JOINT REFUGEE REGISTRATION WITH GOM [...] (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) On May 24, UNHCR Head of Office Johannes Van der Klaauw told poloff that he had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) seeking to form a joint registrati [...] |
2006-06-09 15:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREF PREL SOCI PGOV MO |
| 06CASABLANCA637 |
THE PALACE AND MOROCCO'S BUSINESS ASSOCIATION: [...] (C) Summary: In demonstration of the palace's reach in business affairs, Morocco's oldest and largest professional business association will soon inaugurate a new president after an ostensibly free election. Since only one candidate, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, registered in time to run he is ass [...] |
2006-06-12 09:08:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EIND ELAB ENIV ETRD MO PGOV |
| 06CASABLANCA674 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MAY 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on June 12, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submi [...] |
2006-06-16 17:08:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA675 |
2006 TIP REPORT DEMARCHE: MOROCCO GENERALLY PLEASED [...] (U) On June 12 poloff met with MFA North American Division Chief Wassane Zailachi to deliver reftel demarche and English version of Morocco's 2006 TIP report. MFA America Desk Officer Alaaddine Benhadi also attended the meeting. Zailachi thanked poloff for the report and had no comment on U [...] |
2006-06-19 16:33:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | KCRM KWMN MO PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG |
| 06CASABLANCA676 |
NO HAWALAS PLEASE, WE'RE MOROCCAN [...] (SBU) Summary: Despite government denials, it appears "hawalas" and other informal money-transfer mechanisms are alive and well in Morocco. (Hawala, meaning "trust", is an informal money transfer system characterized by low cost and lack of transparency.) Government of Morocco (GOM) offici [...] |
2006-06-20 09:57:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | EFIN KTFN PTER MO |
| 06CASABLANCA737 |
ISLAMIST PARLIAMENTARIAN OFFERS REGARDS BUT NO [...] (C) In recent weeks we have been meeting with Casablanca- based political party leaders to take the temperature in Morocco,s largest city on political preparations for the 2007 Moroccan Parliamentary elections. When we called for an appointment with Parliamentarian and Party of Justice and [...] |
2006-06-29 14:29:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PREL |
| 06CASABLANCA771 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JUNE 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on July 3, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submit [...] |
2006-07-06 15:20:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA773 |
IT'S THE ISLAMISTS, NOT THE POLISARIO! CASABLANCA [...] (C) Summary: Conversations with Casablanca business and financial elites reveal different priorities and perspectives than political elites on the issue of the Western Sahara. Whereas government contacts emphasize resolution of the Western Sahara conflict as a national priority, Casablanca b [...] |
2006-07-06 17:32:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PBTS PGOV MO |
| 06CASABLANCA819 |
RESPONSE: EFFECTIVENESS OF UN EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL [...] (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (U) This cable is a response to a request for information on MINURSO's efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) involving UN peacekeeping mission personnel in the We [...] |
2006-07-17 16:16:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM KPRO PGOV MO |
| 06CASABLANCA850 |
MOROCCO MACROECONOMIC UPDATE JUNE 2006 [...] Summary: The Centre Marocain de Conjoncture (CMC), an independent Moroccan research center, forecasts a 7.1 percent growth rate for the Moroccan economy in 2006, up significantly from Government of Morocco (GOM) forecasts of 5.4 percent earlier this year. The increase is attributed to an espe [...] |
2006-07-21 14:36:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EIND ELAB ETRD EAGR MO |
| 06CASABLANCA851 |
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW TAKES SIGNIFICANT STEP [...] (U) On July 20th, the Ministerial Council presided over by King Mohammed VI approved Morocco's long-awaited draft Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legislation. The royally-approved draft law can now be presented to Parliament when it convenes in the second week of October. Both the upper and lo [...] |
2006-07-21 14:40:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KTFN PTER MO |
| 06CASABLANCA883 |
HACKING ISRAEL AND PIRATING MOVIES: TALES FROM THE MOROCCAN [...] (C) Summary: The black market still thrives in Casablanca despite the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) provisions of various bilateral and multilateral agreements to which Morocco is a party. Although there are occasional high profile arrests and confiscations of pirated goods by GOM author [...] |
2006-08-01 09:25:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV MO |
| 06CASABLANCA926 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JULY 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on August 7, 2006. The meeting was chaired by the Acting DCM and attended by representatives from CONS, RAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submit f [...] |
2006-08-08 16:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 06CASABLANCA930 |
Casablanca Political Party Leaders Speak Out [...] (C) Summary: In an introductory round of calls on various Casablanca-based political party leaders and executive board members we heard many similar concerns regarding Morocco's upcoming 2007 elections. --Every political activist we encountered expressed an interest in the election poll con [...] |
2006-08-09 14:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR |
| 06CASABLANCA947 |
On the Edge of the Arab World Morocco Joins in the Fray [...] (C) Summary: As the fighting between Israel and Lebanon hits the one month mark, anti-American sentiments in Morocco's largest city are strong, and getting stronger. On Sunday, August 6, Casablanca witnessed a well-organized protest with tens of thousands of Moroccans marching in solidarity [...] |
2006-08-14 12:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR |
| 07CASABLANCA10 |
WOMEN'S NGO SAYS LAW CHANGED, NOT PRACTICE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Volunteers and staff members of the NGO Union for Women's Action say that while Morocco's new Family Code has brought some change, its laws are not followed consistently in practice. Reasons cited include the inclination of some judges to ignore new statutes, the unwillingness of [...] |
2007-01-10 14:23:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PHUM PGOV PREL MO |
| 07CASABLANCA102 |
PROS AND CONS OF INVESTING IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary. Morocco is an increasingly attractive investment destination, as evidenced by the on-going series of events in Casablanca and other cities to discuss opportunities for potential investors. Many factors make Morocco a good place for Americans to invest, including the FTA, flexib [...] |
2007-06-07 09:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA103 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MAY 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met June 4, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, ECON, PAS, RSO, DATT, and DAO. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submit for the [...] |
2007-06-08 11:50:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA117 |
ELECTIONS WILL NOT AFFECT MOROCCAN ECONOMY [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: In general, Casablancans feel that Morocco's political parties lack well-defined economic platforms as they go into the final three months before the September parliamentary election. This is due in part to the fact that many parties are old and have no tradition of presenting e [...] |
2007-06-22 16:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA118 |
ALGERIA WEEK IN CASABLANCA PROMOTES ECONOMIC EXCHANGE, HOPE [...] (SBU) Summary: June 26 to July 1 marks Algeria Week in Casablanca, where Algeria is staging a week-long exhibition to promote business and investment opportunities between Morocco and Algeria. While the attendance of key royal family members and senior GOM officials at a lavish kick-off event [...] |
2007-06-29 15:03:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PREL EFIN KDEM AG MO |
| 07CASABLANCA122 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JUNE 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met July 2, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, POL, ECON, PAS, RSO, and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submit for th [...] |
2007-07-03 15:48:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA130 |
MOROCCO CAUTIOUSLY INTRODUCES ALTERNATIVE BANKING PRODUCTS [...] (SBU) Summary. Morocco's Central Bank and the Professional Group of Moroccan Banks (GPBM) have moved cautiously in recent months to introduce shariah-compliant financial instruments in Morocco. Banks have been authorized to issue a limited number of Islamic products, but are only allowed to r [...] |
2007-07-11 15:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA135 |
GOVERNMENT OF MOROCCO TO SIGN ACCORD WITH UNHCR [...] (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) Summary: On June 20, the Government of Morocco announced it would sign a cooperation agreement with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) delivering full diplomatic status to the UNHCR [...] |
2007-07-20 12:31:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM SMIG PREF PREL SOCI MO |
| 07CASABLANCA148 |
FROM DENIAL TO FEAR - THIS SUMMER, CASABLANCANS TALK ABOUT [...] (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified, please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) Summary: Despite the calm facade in Casablanca since the GOM raised the terrorism threat level on July 6, there is little doubt that its impact has been significant. The July announcement raised questio [...] |
2007-07-27 13:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PTER PREL PGOV PHUM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA16 |
2006 MOROCCO UPDATE OF THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR [...] (U) This message provides requested input for the Department of Labor's annual report on the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Host County's commitment to combat and eliminate them. It updates information provided by Post in 2005 (ref A) concerning Morocco's child labor laws and regulations, la [...] |
2007-01-18 15:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB EIND ETRD EAID PHUM SOCI KWMN MO |
| 07CASABLANCA164 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JULY 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met August 6, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, RAO, POL, ECON, PAS, RSO, and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submit for [...] |
2007-08-10 11:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA168 |
A JEWISH LEADER'S PERSPECTIVE IN AN ARAB CITY [...] (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) Summary: As President of the Moroccan Jewish community and Ambassador at Large for the GOM, Serge Berdugo has never been shy about expressing his opinions on the situation in the country. Berdugo, however, rarely strays fr [...] |
2007-08-14 17:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL PGOV MO |
| 07CASABLANCA169 |
FTA BENEFITS A MIRAGE SAYS MOROCCAN CEO [...] (SBU) Summary: According to Saad Bendidi, Chairman and CEO of palace-controlled conglomerate ONA, the Morocco-U.S. FTA is not significant. This is in part because Morocco produces little to allow it to take advantage of such bilateral agreements. In addition, the U.S. market's complexity make [...] |
2007-08-15 09:49:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFTA EFIN ETRD ECIN BEXP MO |
| 07CASABLANCA180 |
NORTHERN MOROCCO ELECTORATE EXPECTS LITTLE FROM ELECTIONS [...] (C) Summary: In Al Hoceima, on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, estimates of voter turnout vary. Most believe participation will be low, and will not exceed 50 percent. Those interviewed said they would cast their votes based on family and tribal connections or what a candidate had done for the [...] |
2007-09-06 17:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM PGOV PREL MO |
| 07CASABLANCA181 |
VOTE BUYING IN HAHA AND OTHER [...] (C) Summary: During a recent visit to three coastal cities and numerous villages south of Casablanca, Poloff and PD FSN discovered a general lack of interest for the upcoming parliamentary elections, despite the fact that campaign season was in full swing. The dearth of enthusiasm was bla [...] |
2007-09-06 19:03:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL KDEM |
| 07CASABLANCA186 |
VISAS VIPER FOR AUGUST 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met September 4, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the Casablanca Acting Principal Officer and was attended by representatives from CONS, RAO, DAO, POL, ECON, PAS, RSO, and LEGATT. The Committee submi [...] |
2007-09-12 15:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA192 |
CASABLANCA PORT'S CONGESTION CRISIS [...] (SBU) Summary. Explanations abound for the Port of Casablanca's congestion crisis, which has emerged over the last month as a major threat to Moroccan exports. Government and port officials suggest that an increase in imports and an overabundance of containers left in storage have precipitat [...] |
2007-09-22 10:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD EWWT MO |
| 07CASABLANCA193 |
UPPING THE ANTE ON MIGRATION IN MOROCCO:SUB-SAHARANS [...] (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) Summary: The GOM insists that the number of Moroccan and sub-Saharan migrants attempting to cross illegally into Europe has decreased significantly in the last 18 months. The Ministry of the Interior (MIO [...] |
2007-09-27 12:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM SMIG ELAB MO |
| 07CASABLANCA195 |
DEMYSTIFY THE MOROCCO-U.S. FTA TO PROMOTE IT [...] (SBU) Summary: The Morocco-U.S. FTA has brought many successful results, but Moroccan and American companies continue to seek ways to better understand and take advantage of it. While many Moroccans remain uncertain of how and if they can benefit from the FTA, many Americans remain unaware of [...] |
2007-10-03 16:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EINV ETRD EFIN MO |
| 07CASABLANCA196 |
UPPING THE ANTE ON MIGRATION IN MOROCCO: MOROCCAN MINORS [...] (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) As the border between Morocco and the EU tightens and more adult Moroccan illegal migrants are apprehended and returned, families are opting to send minor children north in hopes that they will be allowed [...] |
2007-10-05 11:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM SMIG ELAB MO |
| 07CASABLANCA198 |
CASABLANCANS' ANGER OVER PRICE INCREASES HAS DISSIPATED, NOT [...] (SBU) Summary: Anger over price increases in Morocco is not a new phenomenon and can be explained in part by factors such as Ramadan speculation and lack of government planning. At the same time, many Casablancans contend that the problem is worse than in years past. Not only did price increa [...] |
2007-10-11 17:14:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA200 |
VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met October 1st, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by representatives from CONS, RAO, DAO, POL, ECON, PAS, RSO. The Committee submits twenty-one (21) new names as follows [...] |
2007-10-17 08:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA207 |
CASABLANCA: POST-ELECTION TALK OF THE TOWN [...] (SBU) Summary: Casablanca, with its diverse population, represents a cross-section of Morocco and reactions here to the recent elections and formation of a new government are revealing. While voter turnout across the country was only 37 percent, it was an embarrassing 27 percent in Casablanca. [...] |
2007-10-26 16:30:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PHUM |
| 07CASABLANCA208 |
CASABLANCA BUSINESS BUZZ: SEVERAL GOOD MINISTERS, FEW EXPECTAT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: CasablancaQs business community finds the selection o ----------------------------- SEVERAL WELL-CHOSEN MINISTERS ----------------------------- 2. (C) Although most Moroccans expressed disappointment with the select 3. (SBU) Salaheddine Mezouar, former Minister of Indust [...] |
2007-10-26 17:20:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA209 |
CASABLANCA BUSINESS BUZZ: SEVERAL GOOD MINISTERS, FEW EXPECTAT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: CasablancaQs business community finds the selection o ----------------------------- SEVERAL WELL-CHOSEN MINISTERS ----------------------------- 2. (C) Although most Moroccans expressed disappointment with the select 3. (SBU) Salaheddine Mezouar, former Minister of Indust [...] |
2007-10-26 17:22:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA21 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JANUARY 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met January 29, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by representatives from CONS, POL, RAO, RSO, ECON, PAS, FCS, and DAO. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following 34 names. T [...] |
2007-01-31 11:25:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA210 |
CASABLANCA BUSINESS BUZZ: SEVERAL GOOD MINISTERS, FEW EXPECTAT [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: CasablancaQs business community finds the selection o ----------------------------- SEVERAL WELL-CHOSEN MINISTERS ----------------------------- 2. (C) Although most Moroccans expressed disappointment with the select 3. (SBU) Salaheddine Mezouar, former Minister of Indust [...] |
2007-10-26 17:25:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA211 |
CASABLANCA BUSINESS BUZZ: SEVERAL GOOD MINISTERS, FEW [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Casablanca's business community finds the selection of the government's new ministers encouraging on the whole. Many were particularly pleased with the new Finance Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, who has a solid reputation as a capable practician. Despite finding many ministers [...] |
2007-10-27 13:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA228 |
VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met November 5th, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, POL, RSO and CG. The Committee submits no new names, but updates follow. 2. (SBU) Per reftel [...] |
2007-11-20 10:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA24 |
NGO ON APPEARANCE VERSUS REALITY IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: The president of the Moroccan Association of Youth Against AIDS (A.M.J.C.S.) shared his perspective on the political and economic context in which Moroccan NGOs operate. His candid comments about government efforts to appear socially responsive, the disconnect between economic g [...] |
2007-02-01 17:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PHUM PGOV PREL MO |
| 07CASABLANCA254 |
2007 MOROCCO UPDATE OF THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR [...] Summary: This message provides requested updates for the Department of Labor's annual report on the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Morocco's commitment to combat and eliminate them. It updates information provided by Post in 2006 and years prior, concerning Morocco's child labor laws and reg [...] |
2007-12-14 19:20:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND ETRD EAID PHUM SOCI KWMN USAID MO |
| 07CASABLANCA255 |
2007 MOROCCO UPDATE OF THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR - [...] Summary: This message provides requested updates for the Department of Labor's annual report on the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Morocco's commitment to combat and eliminate them. It updates information provided by Post in 2006 and years prior, concerning Morocco's child labor laws and reg [...] |
2007-12-14 19:20:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND ETRD EAID PHUM SOCI KWMN MO |
| 07CASABLANCA37 |
CREATING JOBS OR JUST SKEPTICISM IN MOROCCO [...] (C) SUMMARY: Moukawalati, the GOM's job creation initiative, offers young entrepreneurs loans, guidance and training to start their own businesses, with the ultimate goal of lowering unemployment. The program has been slow to get off the ground since its launch nearly seven months ago. This [...] |
2007-02-27 17:27:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA42 |
MOROCCO: ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 2. (U) This cable responds to action request (ref A) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from April 2006 to March 2007. --------------------------------- Morocco Remai [...] |
2007-03-07 16:52:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB MO |
| 07CASABLANCA46 |
VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met on March 5, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by representatives from POL, RAO, RSO, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT, with the CG Representing CONS. 2. (SBU) The committee has no [...] |
2007-03-13 09:51:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA57 |
GENUINE EFFORTS TO CURB COUNTERFEIT IN MOROCCO? [...] (C) SUMMARY: Difficulties encountered over the past year by the Consumer and Brand Protection Group (CBPG), a working group formed by several multi-national consumer goods companies to address the prevalence of counterfeit merchandise in Morocco, highlights the challenge of practically implemen [...] |
2007-03-20 14:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA64 |
MOROCCANS UNEASY THREE WEEKS AFTER BOMBING [...] (SBU) Summary: Three weeks after an Islamic extremist accidentally blew himself up outside an internet caf in the city's notorious slum, Sidi Moumen, the streets of Casablanca remain tense. Since the evening of March 11, when a 23-year-old unemployed Moroccan detonated a belt of explosives he [...] |
2007-04-04 10:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL |
| 07CASABLANCA66 |
BANK CEO SAYS OPTIMISM JUSTIFIED IN MOROCCO [...] (C) SUMMARY: When it comes to Morocco, optimism characterizes the view of Othman Benjelloun, chairman and CEO of BMCE Bank. He attributes Morocco's positive environment to a healthy banking sector, a cooperative-minded Central Bank, and a booming economy. BMCE itself is doing well, and will soo [...] |
2007-04-04 18:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 07CASABLANCA69 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MARCH 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met April 2, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, POL, RAO, ECON, PAS, FCS, LEGATT, and DAO. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the names of 27 [...] |
2007-04-06 10:46:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA7 |
VISAS VIPER FOR DECEMBER 2006 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met January 8, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and attended by the CG and representatives from CONS, POL, RAO, RSO, ECON, PAS, DAO and LEGATT. 2. (SBU) The Committee submits the following [...] |
2007-01-09 15:53:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA71 |
SECOND TRANSPORT STRIKE HAS MOROCCANS ON EDGE [...] (SBU) Summary: As Morocco enters the fourth day of its second transportation strike in less then a month, the country's citizens, economy, and government are paying a significant and growing price. The strike, initiated by a group of 46 taxi drivers unions and associations, was initially to l [...] |
2007-04-06 18:55:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB PGOV ECON ETRD MO |
| 07CASABLANCA73 |
FRAUD SUMMARY - CASABLANCA [...] SUMMARY: All consular operations for Morocco are located at Casablanca, which is a medium-fraud post where the impact is greater on Immigrant Visas (IV) than on Nonimmigrant Visas (NIV). Post's FPU consists of a (part-time vice consul FPM and one FSN Fraud Investigator (FSN/FI). The majorit [...] |
2007-04-10 13:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC MO |
| 07CASABLANCA79 |
CASABLANCA ON THE MORNING AFTER [...] (C) Summary: Tuesday's events in Casablanca continue to reverberate locally, provoking comment and concern at all levels in the city. The events, as described by police sources here, are now broadly known. Police continue to search for more suspects with possible links to Tuesday's incidents [...] |
2007-04-12 15:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL |
| 07CASABLANCA85 |
Varied Reactions to Bombings in Casablanca [...] (SBU) Summary: Nearly six weeks after the first in a series of suicide bombings that shook Casablanca, residents of the city are still grasping for explanations. Finding themselves at a loss for answers, many citizens are reacting to the recent explosions at the U.S. Consulate and privately-ru [...] |
2007-04-27 13:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL |
| 07CASABLANCA92 |
VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] (U) Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met May 7, 2007. The meeting was chaired by the A/DCM and attended by representatives from CONS, POL, RAO, ECON, PAS, FCS, and DAO. 2. (SBU) The Committee has no names to submit for the April repo [...] |
2007-05-09 16:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA103 |
VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2008 REPORTING PERIOD (FOLLOW-UP) [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met May 5, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on two persons arrested who had been harboring a [...] |
2008-05-23 09:53:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA104 |
SOURCES OF WEALTH IN CASABLANCA - INTERNAL, EXTERNAL, ILLICIT [...] (SBU) Summary: In Casablanca, Morocco's largest city and economic capital, prosperity is increasingly on display, raising the question of where it comes from. Family money, the banking and real estate sectors, and a strong-performing stock market account for some wealth. Remittances from Moroccans [...] |
2008-05-23 16:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN EINV KDEM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA107 |
CHINA'S GROWING ECONOMIC INFLUENCE IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: Strong bilateral ties between China and Morocco have been bolstered in recent years by state and official visits. Commercial exchanges between the two countries have increased, and Chinese traders have begun to set up shop in Casablanca's largest commercial district. Although b [...] |
2008-05-29 16:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD PGOV XA CH MO |
| 08CASABLANCA113 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MAY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met June 2, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by ACG, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on a recently uncovered terror network accused of plo [...] |
2008-06-03 12:16:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA115 |
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON FORCED LABOR AND [...] This cable responds to a request for information on the use of forced labor and exploitative child labor in the production of goods in Morocco. While Morocco does not have a record of forced child labor, child labor does exist and is used in the production of some goods, mainly in the handicr [...] |
2008-06-03 18:04:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM ECON SOCI MO |
| 08CASABLANCA142 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JUNE 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met July 7, 2008. The meeting was attended by ACG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on the recent arrests of 35 individuals suspected of belonging to a network that [...] |
2008-07-09 14:52:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA144 |
VISAS VIPER FOR June 2008 REPORTING PERIOD (follow up) [...] (U) The following information was provided by RAO on July 10 with respect to the recent arrests of 35 individuals suspected of belonging to a network that recruits volunteers on behalf of Al Qaeda in Iraq and Algeria. 2. (SBU) Hamid al-Bochibi: Moroccan citizen, DPOB: 15 Nov. 1983, Tetoua [...] |
2008-07-11 15:57:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA146 |
MOROCCO CELEBRATES WORLD REFUGEE DAY: AN OVERVIEW [...] Summary: Although Morocco struggles with large populations of migrants and refugees, organizations such as UNHCR and the Friendship and Solidarity Organization (FSO) are moving towards further solidarity between Moroccan nationals and those who have adopted Morocco as their home. To this end, [...] |
2008-07-15 11:34:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM SMIG PREF PREL SOCI ELAB MO |
| 08CASABLANCA158 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JULY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met August 4, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM, with RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. There are no submissions for the July reporting period but RAO is working with [...] |
2008-08-05 16:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA172 |
VISAS VIPER FOR AUGUST 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met September 8, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM, with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. An additional six names were provided for the network that recruits [...] |
2008-09-09 11:00:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA193 |
VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met October 6, 2008. The meeting was chaired by CG, with RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. Regional Consular Officer from Cairo also attended the meeting. 2. There are [...] |
2008-10-08 16:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA200 |
THE JEWS OF CASABLANCA [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Morocco is the only Arab country that promotes and protects its indigenous Jewish minority while fostering ties with the state of Israel and with Israeli citizens of Moroccan descent. Notwithstanding the unwavering support of King Mohammed VI, the Jewish community of Morocco con [...] |
2008-10-23 17:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | KIRF MO PHUM PGOV PREL |
| 08CASABLANCA206 |
VISAS VIPER FOR OCTOBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met November 6, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, FCS and PD in attendance. 2. There are no submissions for the October 2008 reporting period. [...] |
2008-11-03 16:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA207 |
MOROCCO AND ALGERIA'S QUIET ECONOMIC RAPPROCHEMENT [...] (C) Despite their closed land border, the Moroccan and Algerian economies have become increasingly interconnected in sectors ranging from energy to banking. Revenues for General Electric (GE) Morocco total 250 million USD per year in Algeria; the CEO of the National Office of Phosphates (OCP) [...] |
2008-11-04 07:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | AG ECIN ECON ENRG MO PGOV PREL |
| 08CASABLANCA209 |
OFFSHORING - MOROCCO,S COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE [...] (SBU) Building on its natural advantage of both geographic and linguistic proximity to Europe, the "offshoring plank" of Morocco,s "Emergence" strategy has succeeded in making the country a premier destination for European firms seeking to shift their operations offshore. Beyond language, geo [...] |
2008-11-05 13:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EIND PGOV PREL AMCHAMS MO |
| 08CASABLANCA210 |
MOROCCAN EFFORTS TO COUNTER ISLAMIC EXTREMISM: THE [...] (C) SUMMARY: A controversial fatwa, or religious opinion, by a Gulf-sponsored Imam was the trigger, or perhaps excuse, for the Government of Morocco (GOM) to crack down on independent, fundamentalist Islamic institutions. In late September a well-known Moroccan salafist, Sheikh Mohammed Al Ma [...] |
2008-11-05 15:55:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV KISL KOCI KWMN PREL MO |
| 08CASABLANCA213 |
POLITICAL THEATER ENERGIZES THE BASE OF MOROCCO'S [...] (U) SUMMARY: The Casablanca regional congress of the Islamist Party for Justice and Development (PJD) illustrated why the PJD is the best organized and most popular political party in Morocco and the largest opposition in Parliament. On November 1st, the party employed both populist and Islami [...] |
2008-11-10 08:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV KISL PTER MO |
| 08CASABLANCA222 |
THE MARRIAGE OF MINORS, POLYGAMY AND DIVORCE: THE [...] SUMMARY: (U) Women,s groups and the media roundly criticized the government,s failure to implement some aspects of the Mudawana or family code nearly four years after the ground-breaking reforms were passed. The criticism was prompted by a recent report by the Democratic League for the Rights [...] |
2008-11-21 17:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV KWMN KTIP KISL MO |
| 08CASABLANCA224 |
SCANDAL AT THE CASABLANCA STOCK EXCHANGE [...] (SBU) Summary: The Morocco Council for the Code of Ethics in Securities Markets, (CDVM) moved decisively the week of 17 November to address a simmering scandal at the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE), recommending to the Minister of Finance that the Exchange,s entire leadership be dismissed for [...] |
2008-11-26 17:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EINT MO PGOV |
| 08CASABLANCA227 |
VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met December 2, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee approved the following cases submitted by L [...] |
2008-12-02 16:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA228 |
VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met December 2, 2008. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee approved the following cases submitted by L [...] |
2008-12-02 16:38:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA232 |
MOROCCO CONSIDERS A VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN LAW [...] (U) SUMMARY: Despite substantial advances to women's rights contained in the 2004 reform of the family code known as the Mudawana, the government of Morocco still lags behind its international commitments on the issue of violence against women. Reports by women's shelters provide only a limite [...] |
2008-12-12 17:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV KWMN MO |
| 08CASABLANCA235 |
DIFFICULTIES IN MOROCCO'S MICROCREDIT SECTOR [...] (SBU) Summary: The Central Bank of Morocco and the National Federation of Microcredit Associations (FNAM) moved decisively the week of 8 December to address difficulties in Morocco's microcredit industry, recommending that a national credit bureau be established. The Central Bank reported tha [...] |
2008-12-15 17:13:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EINT MO PGOV |
| 08CASABLANCA268 |
VISAS VIPER FOR DECEMBER 2007 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met January 8, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, PD, POL, and RSO. 2. Discussion centered on the sentencing of members of the Ansar Al Mahdi cell on [...] |
2008-01-09 09:49:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA27 |
EL FASSI'S FIRST 100 DAYS: TOO EARLY TO TELL, BUT TIME TO ACT [...] (SBU) Summary: 100 days into El Fassi's tenure as Prime Minister, many Casablancans feel they have little on which to judge the new government, though they feel it is time for action. Citizens expressed anger over the increase in value-added tax on cars, and a sense of urgency about the need t [...] |
2008-02-05 10:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA270 |
DONKEY CARTS BY DIOR: CASABLANCA GOES UPSCALE [...] (SBU) Summary: An explosion of high-end stores has hit Casablanca in the past few years, causing one magazine to declare luxury a new sector in Morocco. While some view the luxury boom as evidence of newfound upward mobility, others believe the rich are just getting richer, though it is not a [...] |
2008-01-14 09:23:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA271 |
EFFECTIVENESS OF UN EFFORTS TO COMBAT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION [...] (U) This cable responds to a request for information on MINURSO's efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) involving UN peacekeeping mission personnel in the Western Sahara and Moroccan peacekeepers in Cote d'Ivoire. This message was cleared with [...] |
2008-01-15 16:59:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL KPRO MO |
| 08CASABLANCA272 |
U.S. COMMERCIAL SERVICE DIRECTOR GENERAL ISRAEL HERNANDEZ [...] (U) Summary: Director General and Assistant Secretary for Trade Promotion Israel Hernandez visited Morocco December 5-7 to reinforce the important friendship and bilateral trade relationship between the U.S. and Morocco. He met separately with Minister of Industry, Commerce and New Technologi [...] |
2008-01-16 12:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | BEXP ECON ETRD BMGT PREL MO |
| 08CASABLANCA28 |
NUMBER OF IRAQI REFUGEES IN MOROCCO GROWING [...] (SBU) During a January 29 meeting, UNHCR Chief of Mission Johannes Van Der Klaauw told poloff that nearly fifteen percent of UNHCR's recognized refugees in Morocco are Iraqi. Van Der Klaauw said the Iraqis began to arrive in significant numbers in early 2007. So far, he said, he has register [...] |
2008-02-05 12:40:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PINR PREL PHUM PREF |
| 08CASABLANCA281 |
CASABLANCA REFORMERS FOCUS ON EDUCATION, PARLIAMENT, [...] (SBU) Summary: At a reform advocates' luncheon for visiting DAS Kent Patton and Tunis MEPI Director Peter Mulrean on January 16, 2008 in Casablanca, discussion focused on three types of reform: educational, parliamentary and constitutional. The discussion preceded a letter calling for the defe [...] |
2008-01-29 11:14:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | KDEM PGOV ECON SOCI MO |
| 08CASABLANCA282 |
EXXONMOBIL SELLS SHARES IN MOROCCAN AFFILIATE [...] (SBU) Summary: ExxonMobil will announce on January 30 a strategic decision to sell its shares of Mobil Oil Maroc to Libya Oil Holdings Limited, a Libyan-government entity. The sale's impact on Morocco is expected to be minor. End Summary. --------------------------------------------- EXXON [...] |
2008-01-29 17:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EPET ENRG EFIN MO |
| 08CASABLANCA285 |
CASABLANCANS REACT TO GAZA TROUBLES [...] (SBU) Summary: While many Casablancans have been thinking of little but Morocco's plight in soccer's Africa Cup Playoffs, others have been preoccupied with raising their voices about recent events in Gaza. Over the past week, three organizations organized progressively larger protests in oppo [...] |
2008-01-31 09:00:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI MO |
| 08CASABLANCA29 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JANUARY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met February 4, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, PD, CG and RSO. 2. Discussion centered on procedures for reviewing information gained from press so [...] |
2008-02-06 10:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | KVPR CVIS CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA33 |
DEMARCHE DELIVERED:UN.GIFT AND VIENNA FORUM TO HUMAN [...] (C) On February 11, poloff discussed the UN.GIFT and Vienna Forum to Human Trafficking (reftel) with MFA Director of Consular and Social Affairs Ambassador Jaouad El Himid and encouraged Moroccan participation in the Forum. 2. (C) El Himdi informed poloff that a Moroccan delegation would be [...] |
2008-02-14 13:59:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PREF SMIG KCRM KWMN MO |
| 08CASABLANCA35 |
MOROCCANS STRIKE OVER RISING FOOD COSTS [...] (SBU) Summary: In recent weeks, Morocco has been hit by a number of national strikes protesting rising costs and other issues and it appears there may be more strikes on the horizon. The GOM, in an early attempt to preempt a national general strike, commenced talks with trade union represen [...] |
2008-02-21 14:21:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB ECON ETRD MO |
| 08CASABLANCA38 |
DISMANTLED TERRORIST NETWORK ILLICITS SHOCK, BUT NOT [...] (C) Summary: Casablancans reacted to the news of the discovery of an extensive terrorist network in Morocco with shock, but not surprise. Casablancans were stunned that seemingly ordinary professionals were involved, and that large weapons caches were found. At the same time, volatile events [...] |
2008-02-25 16:48:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PINS PGOV KDEM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA39 |
MOROCCO: 2008 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] (U) This cable responds to action request (reftel) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from April 2007 to March 2008. ------------------------------------- Morocco Headed in the Right Direction ------------------------------------- [...] |
2008-02-27 12:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREF ELAB SMIG KFRD KCRM KWMN MO |
| 08CASABLANCA45 |
VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met March 3, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, POL and PD. 2. Discussion centered on the thirty five or thirty eight people recently arrested in [...] |
2008-03-10 16:01:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA50 |
MOROCCAN APPAREL EXPERTS SPIN YARNS ABOUT TRADE WITH U.S. [...] (SBU) Summary: Experts in the Moroccan apparel sector say they have limited contact with U.S. clients as a result of stiff competition from Asian markets, American retailers' quest for higher profit margins, and the weak dollar. They question the benefits the FTA offers, but believe that maki [...] |
2008-03-11 14:51:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KTEX MO |
| 08CASABLANCA56 |
Services, Safety and Management Ongoing Concerns in [...] (SBU) Summary: Six Americans have been arrested in Morocco in the past five months, more than were arrested in all of FY07. The recent increase has expanded Post's knowledge of the prison system and the issues Americans face while incarcerated, including few provisions for their basic needs, b [...] |
2008-03-28 15:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | CASC PINS PGOV MO |
| 08CASABLANCA59 |
VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met March 3, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, POL and PD. 2. Discussion centered on the thirty five or thirty eight people recently arrested in [...] |
2008-04-02 15:07:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA62 |
ANTI-PIRACY EFFORTS IN CASABLANCA DO NOT DETER [...] (SBU) Summary: Following a series of seizures of pirated CDs and DVDs, Moroccan authorities destroyed some 80,000 discs on March 27 in Casablanca. Undeterred, illegal CD and DVD vendors remain in business, buoyed by strong demand and the knowledge that periodic raids are annoying, but not rui [...] |
2008-04-03 13:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA71 |
CLANDESTINE MIGRANTS FACE GROWING ASSAULTS [...] (C) Summary: In recent weeks, assaults have plagued the sub-Saharan community in Rabat. In one case, according to reports, a Nigerian clandestine migrant resisted arrest during a periodic roundup and was severely beaten before being taken into custody. As a result of the beating, the migrant [...] |
2008-04-10 15:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PREF SMIG MO |
| 08CASABLANCA72 |
RESPONSE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST NO. 200706444 [...] (SBU) Post has made the requested searched to retrieve all records responsive to requests outlined in reftel. Post was unable to locate any materials relevant to request. GREENE [...] |
2008-04-10 15:11:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | AINF |
| 08CASABLANCA73 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MARCH 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met April 7, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DAO, RSO, POL and PD. 2. Discussion centered on two persons arrested on terrorism related charges in th [...] |
2008-04-11 15:24:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA81 |
MOROCCAN ROYAL FAMILY HOLDING ONA FIRES CEO [...] (SBU) Summary: Morocco's largest conglomerate, the palace-controlled ONA, dismissed its CEO on April 11, charging that he mismanaged Wana, the company's telecommunications subsidiary. The abrupt nature of the dismissal has been the talk of Casablanca business circles for the past week, and has refo [...] |
2008-04-24 11:06:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN KDEM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA86 |
CASABLANCA FIRE MAKES SAFETY STANDARDS A BURNING ISSUE [...] (SBU) Summary: On April 26, fire erupted in a mattress factory in Casablanca, killing 58 of the 100 workers trapped inside. While the factory owner violated numerous safety regulations and will be prosecuted for his role in the tragedy, citizens also blame government authorities for failing to [...] |
2008-04-30 17:02:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON ELAB KDEM PHUM MO |
| 08CASABLANCA92 |
VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met May 5, 2008. The meeting was chaired by the DCM and was attended by CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD. 2. Discussion centered on two persons arrested along with one of the esc [...] |
2008-05-07 12:53:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 08CASABLANCA93 |
STRIKES ON THE HORIZON DESPITE GOM OFFER [...] (SBU) Summary: Following a surprisingly weak turnout on what many though would be well attended May Day celebrations, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi announced that he would implement his offer to increase monthly minimum wage, lower some income taxes and increase other social benefits. In resp [...] |
2008-05-07 12:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PGOV ELAB ECON ETRD MO |
| 09CASABLANCA10 |
MOROCCO, INDIA, PHOSPHATES AND BEYOND [...] (SBU) Summary: Morocco exports about 50 percent of its production of phosphoric acid to India, a dual-use item used extensively to produce fertilizer for the country's agricultural sector and a potential source for uranium. The value of Morocco's exports to India totaled USD 1.4 billion in the [...] |
2009-01-14 15:03:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | AG AMCHAMS ECON EIND ETRD MNUC MO PGOV PREL |
| 09CASABLANCA108 |
MOROCCO'S CUMBERSOME INVESTMENT CLIMATE [...] (SBU) Summary: Despite the rising inward investment trend in the last three years, discussions with government and diplomatic interlocutors, civic society, and more than 20 U.S. businesses operating in Morocco reveal that the country's bureaucratic red tape, compounded with shortcomings in the [...] |
2009-06-03 13:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ETRD EFIN ELAB PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA109 |
MOROCCO'S CUMBERSOME INVESTMENT CLIMATE [...] (SBU) Summary: Despite the rising inward investment trend in the last three years, discussions with government and diplomatic interlocutors, civic society, and more than 20 U.S. businesses operating in Morocco reveal that the country's bureaucratic red tape, compounded with shortcomings in the [...] |
2009-06-03 13:45:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ETRD EFIN ELAB PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA11 |
MOROCCO - 2009 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT [...] No summary [...] |
2009-01-21 13:17:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV ETRD EFIN ELAB OPIC KTDB PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA112 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MAY 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met June 8, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with A/DCM, CG, CONS, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee would like to submit the following names o [...] |
2009-06-08 17:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA113 |
MOROCCO - 2009 REPORT ON INVESTMENT DISPUTES AND [...] (SBU) The United States Government is aware of one (1) claim by United States persons that may be outstanding against the Government of Morocco (GOM). a. Claimant A b. 2009 2. (SBU) Claimant A is a U.S. based, private real estate investment firm and is one of the largest American investo [...] |
2009-06-10 09:15:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ETRD EFIN KIDE PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA114 |
MOROCCAN LABOR ELECTIONS: ANYONE BUT THE UNIONS [...] (U) SUMMARY: Recent national elections held to determine union representation in the private sector resulted in a strong majority for non-union affiliated representatives and revealed a strong lack of confidence in Morocco's largest trade unions. Labor elections, which are held only once eve [...] |
2009-06-11 16:32:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA116 |
NIP AND TUCK IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: Lured by the country's geographic and linguistic proximity, Europeans are slowly taking notice of Morocco's low-cost, high-quality cosmetic and dental care. Treatment in Morocco can cost about 25 to 45 percent less than the same procedures in Europe. Several cosmetic and denta [...] |
2009-06-19 15:48:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ECON ETRD PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA12 |
2008 MOROCCO UPDATE OF THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR [...] Summary: This message provides requested updates for the Department of Labor's annual report on the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Morocco's commitment to combat and eliminate them. It updates information provided by Post in 2007 and years prior, concerning Morocco's child labor laws and regu [...] |
2009-01-21 17:18:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND EAID PHUM SOCI KWMN MO |
| 09CASABLANCA131 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JUNE 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met July 6, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with A/DCM, ACG/CONS, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee discussed the arrest of five members of a [...] |
2009-07-08 09:41:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA132 |
PIRACY STILL THRIVING IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: A recent visit by Econoff and Poloff to Morocco's largest informal market revealed that despite a strong legislative framework for combating counterfeit and pirated products, enforcement remains weak. According to Morocco's Commercial and Industry Property Office, only 19 intel [...] |
2009-07-08 14:28:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD KIPR PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA14 |
MOROCCO'S TEXTILE SECTOR IS IN TROUBLE [...] (SBU) Summary: With the economies of Morocco's principal textile trading partners - France, Spain, and the United Kingdom - slowing, the Moroccan Association of Textile and Industries (AMITH) has sounded the alarm about prospects for the sector, which typically constitutes a third of Moroccan [...] |
2009-01-30 16:03:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | AMCHAMS EAID ECON EFIN ETRD MO |
| 09CASABLANCA140 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JUNE 2009 REPORTING PERIOD (UPDATE) [...] As reported previously (Casablanca 0131), members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met July 6, 2000 and discussed the arrest of members of the terrorist cell Salafiya Jihadia. 2. Legatt office provided the following submissions. All are Moro [...] |
2009-07-15 15:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA141 |
THE CASABLANCA EXCEPTION [...] (C) Summary: Notwithstanding the widely reported Palace machinations, the final composition of the City Council in Morocco's largest city Casablanca consists of a broad political alliance between the Palace-favored Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM)and the Islamist-oriented Party of Jus [...] |
2009-07-20 14:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | KDEM MO PGOV PHUM PINS |
| 09CASABLANCA144 |
DEAR MOROCCAN EXPATRIATES, PLEASE SEND MONEY [...] (SBU) Summary: The global economic contraction is having a direct effect on Morocco's economy through falling remittances. Based on discussions with government interlocutors and the banking community, the outlook for inflows of expatriate funds into Morocco is increasingly somber. Morocco's e [...] |
2009-07-23 13:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA159 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JULY 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met August 3, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with A/DCM/PD, CG, CONS, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, RAO, POL, ECON, and USAID in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee had nothing to report for Jul [...] |
2009-08-07 09:24:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA160 |
VIOLENCE AT UNHCR HIGHLIGHTS MOROCCO,S REFUGEE [...] (SBU) Moroccan police clashed with sub-Saharan refugees after a two-week long sit-in at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) headquarters in Rabat, resulting in five arrests and numerous injuries including a senior police officer. The five detained refugees were initially [...] |
2009-08-07 12:29:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM PGOV PREF |
| 09CASABLANCA163 |
BEYOND THE VEIL - WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: By codifying women's rights to equal participation in politics, society, and the economy, as well as recognizing their right to education, King Mohammed VI has positively altered the business climate for women in Morocco. According to the Moroccan Association of Women Entreprene [...] |
2009-08-12 17:03:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD PGOV KWMN MO |
| 09CASABLANCA165 |
SCENESETTER FOR CODEL MARSHALL [...] 1. (SBU) Summary: Representative Mashall, Consulate Casablanca warmly welcomes you nd your delegation to Morocco. Politically and eonomically, Morocco is a country "on the move," eeply engaged in reform and development, albeit nevenly. Morocco has averaged over 5 percent anual growth in r [...] |
2009-08-14 16:58:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | OREP PREL ECON PGOV SOCI MO |
| 09CASABLANCA166 |
ELIMINATING SLUMS THAT BREED EXTREMISM IN MOROCCO [...] (SBU) Summary: As part of Morocco's efforts to manage the socio-economic conditions that indirectly contribute to the growth of extremism, close to 40 percent of the country's 70 urban slums have been eradicated over the past several years and its inhabitants re-housed in new government-subsid [...] |
2009-08-17 14:22:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV PREL KISL MO |
| 09CASABLANCA168 |
PALACE PREVENTS ISLAMIST PARTY FROM TAKING [...] No summary [...] |
2009-08-19 12:31:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PHUM |
| 09CASABLANCA169 |
Abortion and Family Planning in [...] SUMMARY: Despite significant advances to women's legal rights by the passage in 2003 of a new family code (Reftel), pregnant unmarried women in Morocco still face intense social alienation and economic hardships. Contraception is widely available and heavily subsidized by the government of M [...] |
2009-08-19 15:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PHUM KWMN PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA175 |
THIS RAMADAN, THINGS ARE DIFFERENT [...] (SBU) Summary: Conversations with Morocco's business community and civil society reveal that this year's global economic crisis and the country's rising food prices are having a sobering effect on celebrating the holiest month of the Islamic year, Ramadan. Governmental efforts to manage the im [...] |
2009-09-02 16:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV SOCI MO |
| 09CASABLANCA177 |
VISAS VIPER FOR AUGUST 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met September 8, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Acting DCM/PD with ACG/CONS, LEGATT, DHS, RAO, DAO, RSO, ECON and USAID in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee does not have anything to report at [...] |
2009-09-08 16:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA181 |
AFRICAN MIGRANTS IN MOROCCO: ON THE EDGE OF [...] (SBU) Every year thousands of sub-Saharan migrants enter eastern Morocco from Algeria intent on making the final push to Spain. While some are successful, many more end up languishing in the transit towns or settling into longer term residence in Morocco. Poloff visited the camps of clandest [...] |
2009-09-15 17:17:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PREL PHUM PTER PINR MO AG |
| 09CASABLANCA182 |
AFRICAN MIGRANTS IN MOROCCO: ON THE EDGE OF [...] (SBU) Every year thousands of sub-Saharan migrants enter eastern Morocco from Algeria intent on making the final push to Spain. While some are successful, many more end up languishing in the transit towns or settling into longer term residence in Morocco. Poloff visited the camps of clandest [...] |
2009-09-15 18:51:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PREL PHUM PTER PINR MO AG |
| 09CASABLANCA185 |
BANKING ON MOROCCO'S RURAL WOMEN [...] (SBU) Summary: Official statistics do not accurately reflect the participation of rural women in Morocco's agricultural sector. As a result, women's contributions to the economy remain underreported and under-appreciated. According to the Moroccan Association for the Development of Rural Wom [...] |
2009-09-18 16:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD PGOV KWMN MO |
| 09CASABLANCA188 |
SEPTEMBER 2009 FRAUD SUMMARY - CASABLANCA [...] No summary [...] |
2009-09-25 11:46:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | KFRD CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA189 |
MOROCCO CRACKS DOWN ON ISLAMIST DISSIDENTS [...] (C) SUMMARY: During the first half of September Moroccan security forces launched a campaign of arrests across the country against the banned Islamist group Al-Adl wal-Ihsan (AWI). The raids forcibly broke up AWI meetings at private residences in three cities and resulted in brief detentions [...] |
2009-09-26 13:55:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | MO PGOV PHUM |
| 09CASABLANCA19 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JANUARY 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met February 2, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with A/DCM, RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, FCS, and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee did not have any submissions for [...] |
2009-02-05 14:22:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA192 |
CHINA, MOROCCO, AND THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA [...] (SBU) Summary: With a controlling stake in some of Africa's largest banks and solid 2010 earning projections, China is increasingly turning to Morocco's largest banks - Attijariwafa and Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur (BMCE) - for its banking needs in Francophone Africa. To secure its [...] |
2009-10-06 16:45:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON ETRD PGOV CH MO |
| 09CASABLANCA193 |
VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met October 7, 2009. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, CONS, LEGATT, DHS, RAO, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PD and USAID in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee discussed the September arrest of 24 [...] |
2009-10-08 12:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA194 |
WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN MOROCCO: A MODEL FOR THE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: In the last decade Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, has implemented a wide variety of social and economic reforms with the aim of modernizing the country. One the areas where this has been the most apparent is in the advancement of women's rights. This prog [...] |
2009-10-14 09:18:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM SOCI KWMN MO |
| 09CASABLANCA197 |
VISAS VIPER FOR SEPTEMBER 2009 REPORTING PERIOD UPDATE [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met October 7, 2009. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, CONS, LEGATT, DHS, RAO, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, PD and USAID in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee would like to submit the following na [...] |
2009-10-20 16:56:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA198 |
THE KING, THE COURTS, AND THE RISE OF ARBITRATION [...] (SBU) Summary: With only 150 judges in the entire commercial judiciary and close to 100,000 pending cases, Morocco's slow and often inept judicial system has made international firms increasingly skittish about investments and business transactions. In his major annual youth day address in lat [...] |
2009-10-22 13:33:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EINV ETRD EFIN ELAB PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA2 |
VISAS VIPER FOR DECEMBER 2008 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met January 5, 2009. The meeting was chaired by DCM with RAO, LEGATT, CONS, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, FCS, and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee approved the following cases submitted by [...] |
2009-01-05 16:51:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA200 |
Disney World, Morocco, and Q-1 Visas [...] Summary: Overstays by Q-1 visa holders who serve as cultural representatives at Disney's EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida have long been a concern. Post conducted a validation study of Q-1 recipients issued visas between September 2006 and June 2008. The results confirmed that the overwhelmin [...] |
2009-10-23 13:34:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | KFRD CVIS CPAS MO |
| 09CASABLANCA21 |
MEETING WITH CASABLANCA POLICE PREFECT [...] (U) On February 5th, 2009 Consul General and RSO Casablanca met with Police Prefect Mustapha Mazouni at Casablanca's Prefecture to discuss the security situation in Casablanca. Prefect Mazouni, who requested the meeting, began by outlining his view of the current security climate in Casablan [...] |
2009-02-06 17:00:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ASEC EAGR KIRF MO PGOV SNAR |
| 09CASABLANCA210 |
MOROCCO, THE WORLD'S NEXT HOLLYWOOD? [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Situated in central Morocco, the Souss-Massa-Draa region has become one of the world's most appealing film locations - and the backdrop for several major Hollywood films starring actors such as Angelina Jolie, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The Moroccan government has im [...] |
2009-11-19 09:12:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EINV PGOV SOCI KISL MO |
| 09CASABLANCA213 |
WOMEN'S RIGHTS ADVANCING AS ISLAMIST APPEAL WANES [...] SUMMARY: On November 22, the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, Melanne Verveer, met with Morocco's most prominent women policy makers, civil activists, journalists, and CEOs in Casablanca. Some of the country's leading women were highly critical of the Islamist-oriented Party of [...] |
2009-11-30 09:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON PGOV PHUM KWMN SOCI MO |
| 09CASABLANCA216 |
WESTERN SAHARA: CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES [...] (C) SUMMARY: The UN-administered Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in Western Sahara have thus far fallen short in achieving their underlying political goal of pushing the parties to interact regularly and build a relationship for future negotiations. The CBMs, however, have provided a vit [...] |
2009-11-30 10:25:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PREF PGOV SMIG PREL PHUM MO AG |
| 09CASABLANCA217 |
MOROCCAN JEWISH LEADER REPORTS ON LIVNI VISIT [...] (C) SUMMARY: The President of Morocco's Jewish Community characterized the recent visit of Tzipi Livni to Morocco as a "positive development" and claimed that given the right circumstances, Morocco is ready to take additional steps to publicly engage with Israel in support of the peace process [...] |
2009-11-30 18:14:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PGOV KPAL MO IS |
| 09CASABLANCA224 |
VISAS VIPER FOR NOVEMBER 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met December 7, 2009. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, USAID and PD in attendance. 2. There are no submissions for the November 2009 reporting period. [...] |
2009-12-08 09:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA225 |
MOROCCAN FM CRITICIZED FOR HAIDAR CASE [...] (C) At a small December 7 dinner XXXXXXXXXXXXX spontaneously raised the case of Aminatou Haidar (reftels). He harshly criticized FM Fassi Fihri for not having provided King Mohammed VI with better counsel regarding the likely consequences and world reaction. "At a number of levels, our dec [...] |
2009-12-08 12:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM PGOV PREF PREL MO |
| 09CASABLANCA226 |
PALACE COERCION PLAGUES MOROCCO'S REAL ESTATE SECTOR [...] (C) SUMMARY: At a December 9 meeting, one of Morocco's leading business entrepreneurs XXXXXXXXXXXX, told EconOff that major institutions and processes of the Moroccan state are being used by the Palace to coerce and solicit bribes in the country's real estate sector. XXXXXXXXXXXX made clear t [...] |
2009-12-11 17:42:00 | Consulate Casablanca | SECRET | ECON EINV EFIN MO PGOV |
| 09CASABLANCA228 |
EXPATRIATE CHRISTIANS EXPELLED FOR ALLEGED PROSELYTIZING [...] (C) Summary: On December 4 a group of Moroccan Christian converts and foreigners gathered in a home in the town of Saidia for a weekend of study and spiritual retreat. Moroccan police raided the house, confiscated personal items and religious material, and detained those present. The Morocc [...] |
2009-12-23 12:33:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PHUM KIRF PGOV ASCH MO |
| 09CASABLANCA230 |
AMBASSADOR ENGAGES SOME OF MOROCCO'S [...] (SBU) Summary: In the lead up to the White House Entrepreneurial Summit, the Ambassador met with some of Morocco's leading business entrepreneurs, academics and investors in Casablanca on December 17. The group highlighted three major constraints to the growth of entrepreneurship in Morocc [...] |
2009-12-24 12:36:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EFIN EINV EAID PREL ETRD PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA26 |
MOROCCO-RUSSIA ECONOMIC RELATIONS: ENERGY, [...] (SBU) Morocco's economic relationship with Russia, initially concentrated almost exclusively in the energy sector, has widened dramatically in recent years. Bilateral trade is flourishing in the agriculture and phosphate sectors, joining longstanding Moroccan reliance on Russia for petroleum [...] |
2009-02-12 13:44:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | AG ECON EIND ETRD MO PGOV PREL RS |
| 09CASABLANCA27 |
MOROCCO: 2009 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT [...] (U) This cable responds to action request (Ref A) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from April 2008 to February 2009. ------------------------- OVERVIEW: Plus Ca Change... ------------------------- 2. (SBU) The Government of M [...] |
2009-02-13 14:57:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KTIP PREF ELAB SMIG KCRM KWMN MO |
| 09CASABLANCA34 |
FES MAYOR BECOMES NEW TRADE UNION LEADER AND [...] (C) SUMMARY: The General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM), one of Morocco,s largest trade unions, elected a new secretary general at its annual congress on January 29th. The leadership of the trade unions, much like the political parties with which they are affiliated, rarely changes and oft [...] |
2009-02-24 16:54:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ELAB PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA36 |
MOROCCO,S MIDDLE CLASS PART I: A STATE OF MIND [...] (SBU) King Mohammed VI's August 2008 directive that all public policies should seek to develop Morocco's middle class has prompted a spirited debate and discussion on the makeup of that middle class in Morocco today. For now, there is no consensus on the definition, even within the government. [...] |
2009-03-03 09:47:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON MO PGOV PREL |
| 09CASABLANCA40 |
VISAS VIPER FOR FEBRUARY 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met March 2, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with A/DCM, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, and ECON. 2. The Visas Viper Committee did not have any submissions for the month of February 2009. [...] |
2009-03-10 13:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA42 |
PDAS KIRBY ADDRESSES FRUSTRATIONS OF MOROCCO'S BUSINESS [...] (SBU) Summary: The Moroccan-American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco (AmCham) hosted a business lunch March 2 for PDAS Michael Kirby of the Bureau of Consular Affairs. The event was attended by 56 business men and women representing numerous industry sectors. AmCham Board Members, the Consul G [...] |
2009-03-12 13:01:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | CVIS CMGT ASEC EINV ETRD EFIN PGOV MO |
| 09CASABLANCA44 |
POLITICAL DISILLUSIONMENT AMONG MOROCCAN YOUTH [...] (SBU)Summary: A series of conversations with university-educated middle class Moroccan youth revealed negative and/or apathetic opinions towards their country's politicians and the political system in general. They reported that politicians were corrupt, indifferent to the needs of the people [...] |
2009-03-18 09:46:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | PGOV SOCI MO |
| 09CASABLANCA47 |
MOROCCO/IRAN: THE PHANTOM SHIA MENACE [...] (C) Summary: One of Morocco's top experts on Islam discounted the government of Morocco's (GOM) explanation that the Iranian Shia menace was a proximate cause of the breakdown in relations between the two countries. Whatever Iran's alleged proselytizing activities may have borne, the penetra [...] |
2009-03-23 19:46:00 | Consulate Casablanca | SECRET | PREL PGOV KISL KTER MO AG IR |
| 09CASABLANCA48 |
MOROCCO'S MIDDLE CLASS PART II: THE STAGNATION OF [...] (SBU) While the bustling markets that line the streets of Casablanca might suggest that Morocco's middle class is thriving, many of our contacts note that growth within this segment of society has stagnated in part due to the rising cost of living and the country,s poor fiscal policies. Middle [...] |
2009-03-24 10:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON MO PGOV PREL |
| 09CASABLANCA63 |
MOROCCO'S MIDDLE CLASS PART III: DISCONTENT WITH [...] (SBU) Summary: Private and public sector efforts to strengthen Morocco's middle class have done little to quell the increasing discontent among the lower echelons of Morocco's middle class. Conversations with contacts in academia and civic society reveal that this segment of society is increa [...] |
2009-04-03 15:30:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON KISL MO PGOV PREL |
| 09CASABLANCA66 |
VISAS VIPER FOR MARCH 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met April 6, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, PD and FCS. 2. The Visas Viper Committee did not have any submissions for the month of March 2009. [...] |
2009-04-07 17:35:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA67 |
MOROCCO's GRAPES OF WRATH [...] (SBU) Summary: The city of Meknes is the center of Morocco's budding wine business, employing 6,000 people and producing 70 percent of the country's wine. Paradoxically, until early 2009 the city was governed by the Islamist-oriented Party of Justice and Development (PJD). The story of Mekne [...] |
2009-04-10 16:16:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | EAGR ECON PGOV SOCI KISL MO |
| 09CASABLANCA74 |
MOROCCO: TRANSPORTATION STRIKE BRINGS COUNTRY TO [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Morocco's labor unions brought much of commerce to a halt and caused widespread shortages of fuel and a substantial increase in food prices after a nine day strike in protest against the government of Morocco's (GOM) proposed reform to the traffic code. The strike which began o [...] |
2009-04-15 17:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB PGOV ECON ETRD MO |
| 09CASABLANCA78 |
WESTERN SAHARAN STUDENTS IN MOROCCO: BITING THE [...] No summary [...] |
2009-04-23 10:27:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM MO |
| 09CASABLANCA79 |
WESTERN SAHARAN STUDENTS IN MOROCCO: BITING THE [...] (C) SUMMARY: Students from the Western Sahara seeking higher education have no choice but to attend university far from home in Morocco. These students, the future leaders of the Saharan political society, cut their teeth on politics in the radicalized and at times violent world of universit [...] |
2009-04-23 10:27:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PREL PHUM MO |
| 09CASABLANCA83 |
MOROCCO'S NON-EMERGING ALTERNATIVE: ISLAMIC FINANCE [...] (C) Summary: In late 2007, Morocco's central bank authorized Sharia-compliant products to be sold in the country's leading commercial banks. To date, the products have had limited success in penetrating the financial market due to two major constraints: the country's fiscal policy and a gove [...] |
2009-04-30 16:19:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON EFIN SOCI KISL MO |
| 09CASABLANCA85 |
VISAS VIPER FOR APRIL 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met May 5, 2009. The meeting was chaired by Charge with A/DCM, CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON and PD in attendance. 2. The Visas Viper Committee did not have any submissions for the m [...] |
2009-05-05 11:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 09CASABLANCA90 |
ISLAMISTS CALL FOR DIALOGUE WITH SALAFIST [...] (C) SUMMARY: In the aftermath of the 2003 Casablanca suicide bombings the government of Morocco (GOM) detained and prosecuted thousands of suspected Islamic extremists. The creation of a concentrated Salafist population in the prisons has presented the GOM with new challenges including the b [...] |
2009-05-11 18:12:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | PTER PINS KISL PHUM MO |
| 09CASABLANCA93 |
MOROCCO'S EL DORADO - FRANCOPHONE AFRICA [...] (SBU) Summary: To fuel its expansion in Francophone Africa, Morocco's largest companies - Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Morocaine du Commerce Exterieur (BMCE), and Maroc Telecom - are employing a calculated strategy, which entails buying controlling stakes in key sub-Saharan African firms, and pur [...] |
2009-05-14 17:33:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECIN ECON EINV PGOV SOCI MO |
| 09CASABLANCA94 |
A NEW START FOR THE CASABLANCA STOCK EXCHANGE [...] (SBU) Summary: The U.S. Consul General in Casablanca met with the newly appointed U.S. trained managing director of the Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE), Karim Hajii, on May 13th to discuss the loss of consumer confidence at CSE in the midst of widespread speculation of insider trading and mark [...] |
2009-05-15 14:49:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ECON EFIN EINT PGOV MO |
| 10CASABLANCA13 |
2009 MOROCCO UPDATE ON CHILD LABOR FOR TVPRA AND TDA [...] (U) This message provides requested updates for the Department of Labor's annual report on forced labor and exploitive child labor as mandated under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and the Trade and Development Act (TDA) and requested in reftel. 2. (SBU) The [...] |
2010-02-01 16:17:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | ELAB EIND ETRD EAID PHUM SOCI KWMN MO |
| 10CASABLANCA15 |
VISAS VIPER FOR JANUARY 2010 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met February 1, 2010. The meeting was chaired by DCM with CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, and PD in attendance. Discussion centered on implementation of new requirements in the Visas Vip [...] |
2010-02-03 17:16:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 10CASABLANCA18 |
MOROCCO: LABOR MONITORING AND TRADE [...] (SBU) SUMMARY: Morocco has engaged in significant labor reform, primarily through a 2004 modernization of its labor code, an effort that received added impetus as a result of the negotiation of the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement. While the current law adheres to core international labor [...] |
2010-02-05 11:10:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ELAB ECON ETRD PHUM PGOV MO |
| 10CASABLANCA19 |
MOROCCAN CHRISTIANS COMPLAIN OF GOVERNMENT [...] (C) SUMMARY: Government of Morocco (GOM) security forces raided a meeting of 11 Moroccan Christian converts and one American Citizen (AMCIT) in a rural village south of Marrakech on February 4. The police temporarily detained the Moroccans, expelled the AMCIT and confiscated their computers, [...] |
2010-02-09 14:43:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | KIRF PGOV PHUM MO |
| 10CASABLANCA2 |
VISAS VIPER FOR DECEMBER 2009 REPORTING PERIOD [...] Members of the Embassy Rabat and Consulate General Casablanca joint Visas Viper Committee met January 4, 2010. The meeting was chaired by DCM with Ambassador, CG, CONS, RAO, LEGATT, DHS, DAO, RSO, POL, ECON, USAID and PD in attendance. Discussion centered around new requirements in the Visas [...] |
2010-01-05 15:50:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | CVIS KVPR CMGT PINR PTER ASEC MO |
| 10CASABLANCA20 |
MOROCCO: 2010 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] (U) This cable responds to action request (Ref A) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from April 2009 to February 2010. OVERVIEW -------- 2. (SBU) The Government of Morocco (GOM) has taken a number of steps in 2009 that indicat [...] |
2010-02-16 09:01:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KTIP PREF ELAB SMIG KCRM KFRD |
| 10CASABLANCA24 |
OIL CONTINUES TO GREASE MOROCCO-IRAN RELATIONS, [...] (C) SUMMARY: Although Rabat broke diplomatic relations with Tehran in March 2009, commercial links between the two countries remain important, led by Iran's provision of more than one quarter of Morocco's crude oil imports in 2009, worth nearly USD 1 billion. At the same time, Morocco export [...] |
2010-02-19 11:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | ECON PGOV PREL ENRG KISL MO IR |
| 10CASABLANCA25 |
MOROCCO: 2010 ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS [...] (U) This cable responds to action request (Ref A) for updated information on the Moroccan government's efforts to combat trafficking in persons from April 2009 to February 2010. OVERVIEW -------- 2. (SBU) The Government of Morocco (GOM) has taken a number of steps in 2009 that indicat [...] |
2010-02-22 17:35:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM KTIP PREF ELAB SMIG KCRM KFRD |
| 10CASABLANCA5 |
MOHAMMED EL FIZAZI AND THE SALAFIST SHEIKHS [...] (S/NF) SUMMARY: Moroccan Salafist Sheikh Mohammed El Fizazi's letter to his daughter in Germany, published by Der Spiegel in October 2009, in our view signals a carefully couched reassessment of his support for legitimate jihad but probably not a complete renunciation of violence. Fizazi's le [...] |
2010-01-13 15:56:00 | Consulate Casablanca | SECRET | PINR KISL GM MO |
| 10CASABLANCA6 |
MOROCCO'S SKILL SHORTAGE THREATENS ECONOMIC GROWTH [...] (SBU) Summary: Morocco's leading CEOs agree that the country's education system has failed to produce graduates fit for the work place. The skill shortage, specifically in the technical and engineering field, threatens the Kingdom's economic growth and competitiveness, the CEO's warned. Publi [...] |
2010-01-13 16:20:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | ECON EAID PREL EINV ETRD EFIN PGOV MO |
| 10CASABLANCA7 |
MOROCCO: EFFECTIVENESS OF UN EFFORTS TO COMBAT [...] (U) This cable responds to Ref A request for information on UN efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) involving UN peacekeeping mission personnel in the Western Sahara and Moroccan peacekeepers in Cote d'Ivoire the Democratic Republic of the Cong [...] |
2010-01-13 17:05:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | PHUM PREL KPKO CG IV WI MO |
| 10CASABLANCA8 |
MOROCCO - 2010 INVESTMENT CLIMATE [...] No summary [...] |
2010-01-14 09:25:00 | Consulate Casablanca | UNCLASSIFIED | EINV ETRD EFIN ELAB OPIC KTDB PGOV MO |
| 10CASABLANCA9 |
DUBAI WOES REVERBERATE IN MOROCCO [...] (C) SUMMARY: The net value of United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign direct investment in Morocco reached USD 606 million in 2008, a staggering increase from the USD 15 million invested in 2002. To fuel this expansion, the UAE employed a calculated strategy, which entailed pursuing long-term inv [...] |
2010-01-21 13:26:00 | Consulate Casablanca | CONFIDENTIAL | EINV EFIN ECON PGOV PREL AE MO |