U.S. Report on Morocco’s Counterterrorism Strategy

The U.S. Department of State lauded the government of Morocco in its annual report on terrorism published by the Office of the coordinator for terrorism. The strategic report, titled “Country Reports on Terrorism 2008,” was submitted to congress on April 30, 2009.

The Moroccan government made significant progress in the past few years and succeeded in reversing an emerging fundamentalist Islamist trend that was taking hold in the country. It demonstrated a very granular understanding of the asymmetric nature of the terrorist threat undermining the country’s national security. However, AQIM and its regional proxies, albeit decentralized and operating with reduced capabilities, remain highly symbiotic and capable of sensational attacks.

The report assesses the threat of terrorist attacks against Morocco as arising mainly from “grassroots” groups associated with Salafia Jihadiya, a terrorist group founded by Mohamed Fizazi, who is currently serving a 30-year sentence in connection with the 2003 terrorist bombings and other terrorist activity, in 1992 after his return from Saudi Arabia. The group preaches an extreme interpretation of Islam impregnated with Wahabi fundamentalist precepts and strives in poverty-stricken shanty towns across Morocco. The U.S. State Department report indicated that the government of Morocco’s proactive counterterrorism operations greatly contributed to the derailment of the terrorist group, and thus lessening from its tactical effectiveness.

The State Department document pointed out that numerous intelligence assessments reported on an increased number of Moroccans traveling to northern Mali and Algeria to receive Al Qa’ida oriented indoctrination and training in Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) camps. I have previously reported – here - that some of these Moroccans travel to Iraq through Europe and Syria to engage in terrorist activity. The tactical combat experience and terrorist material application expertise – small arms manual, IED/VBIED fabrication and use, mortar and missile attacks – these individuals gain constitute a nascent strategic threat to Morocco.

Morocco ’strategy in countering the asymmetric threat of terrorism required doctrinal and structural adjustments and a shift from the unilateralism of action and compartmentalization of services previously imposed to preclude a coup d’état. Morocco’s current strategy combines the skills and capabilities of the counterintelligence, human intelligence, and signal intelligence fields supported by a well-rounded analysis platform; the mobilization and sensitization of conventional military and law enforcement assets increased their responsiveness to terrorist indicators and turned a previously ad-hoc and burst reaction into an orchestrated and integral operation. The creation in 2008 of the Financial Intelligence Unit enhanced Morocco’s capability to restrict terrorists’ access to funds drastically limiting their effectiveness. Additionally, The Moroccan society’s natural propensity to reject terrorist acts is a decisive element in the government’s counter-terrorism strategy; leads provided by citizens resulted in the successful neutralization of many terrorist cells and the thwarting of their destabilizing operations.

Morocco’s anti-terrorism efforts, through the King’s “proximity strategy,” also focused on mosques and Islamic teaching facilities that lacked oversight and were at one time financially neglected by the ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs. Such places were a safe haven to radical Islamic fomenters, such as Sheikh Mohamed Ben Abderrahman Al Maghraoui, who used them to impress upon their fellowship a retrograde interpretation of Islam.

Addressing the socio-economic factors terrorist organizations feed on in their recruitment campaigns, the Moroccan government has launched in 2005 the National Initiative for Human Development, a $1.2 billion program focused on creating employment opportunities, improving infrastructure in rural areas, and alleviating poverty.
The report also highlighted Morocco’s continuous focus on international cooperation in combating terrorism. The government is constantly coordinating and deconflicting operations with European, U.S., African and Arab partners. High level Anti-terrorism executors ensure a rapid exchange of information and an expeditious approval authority channel that is not entangled in bureaucracy.

The counter-terrorism measures the government of Morocco implemented and the constant vigilance of its security officials yielded notable results. The report lists a number of counter-terrorism achievements prominent among them are the arrest, in February 2008, of a 36-person strong terrorist network in the cities of Nador, Rabat, Marakesh, and Casablanca, the apprehension of 35 members of a terrorist network specializing in the recruitment of volunteers for Iraq, the disbanding of a 15-person network calling itself Fath al-Andalus in Laayoune, and various cities in Morocco.

The Moroccan government made significant progress in the past few years and succeeded in reversing an emerging fundamentalist Islamist trend that was taking hold in the country. It demonstrated a very granular understanding of the asymmetric nature of the terrorist threat undermining the country’s national security. However, AQIM and its regional proxies, albeit decentralized and operating with reduced capabilities, remain highly symbiotic and capable of sensational attacks.

A. T. B. Copyright © 2009