Thursday, 17 May 2012
 
 

Paint The Town Moroccan


B'net Houariyat @ Kennedy Cntr

Morocco-US: Visa Talk

Hamid Kachmar's "Intricacies"
Constitution Referendum TV Debate


Moroccan Vocalist in Detroit  1  2

Polisario In Washington


Kids:    "My Morocco"

 

Submit classified free
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb PDF Print
HASSAN MASIKY
Washington,  January 14, 2010-- As the world is witnessing in Yemen, in some parts of the world ignoring critical social, political, economical and security concerns comes at price for the rest of us. For people unfamiliar with the politics and the socio-economic situation in Yemen, the near collapse of the Yemeni state came fast and furious. However, experts on the region have been warning of an explosive state of affairs in this Arab peninsula country. The mix of a religiously mixed society, dire poverty and weak governmental institutions came to a boiling point with the arrival of Al-Qaeda to Yemen. To some degree, the North African country of Mauritania may be the next target in Al-Qaeda’s design to destabilize weak countries in order to establish safe heavens for its operations... The recent kidnapping of three Spanish aid workers traveling in a convoy on a major highway linking the capital Nouakchott to the city of Nouadhibou is an ominous sign of more troubles, violence and insecurity to befall Mauritania, unless the major underlying reasons behind this surge in violence are timely and adequately resolved. The daring kidnapping has been blamed on Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM);  AQIM is an offshoot of the Algerian Salafist Group for Combat and Preaching which declared allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2003.

While Mauritania has been peaceful for the most part since its independence from France, a spate of attacks by AQIM has put Nouakchott in the eye of the storm. The killing of four French tourists in 2007, the failed bombing of the French Embassy and the execution of an America teacher have planted Mauritania at the heart of the War on extremists groups in North Africa. AQIM is well aware of the vulnerability of the Mauritanian state: the weakness of the Mauritanian security apparatus, the limitation of its armed forces,  and its vast and sparsely inhabited territory give AQIM a vast advantage over Mauritanian government forces.

However, the major handicap to the success of  Mauritanians efforts to curb AQIM’s activities on its territory is the ongoing political crisis in the Maghreb. As long as Morocco and Algeria do not solve their outstanding problems, AQIM’s influence and activities will keep expanding at the expense of peace and stability in the region and eventually the world.

The ongoing feud between Morocco and Algeria over the Western Sahara is  a major cause behind the recent surge of violence in Mauritania. With only few hundred combatants, AQIM has been able to hit at the heart of Algiers, Nouakchott, attack a Mauritanian and Malian military outposts, and kidnap westerns in Tunisia, Niger, and Mauritanian. If AQIM can operate over this vast and unforgiving geographic area, it must have help and a strategy.

AQIM is an  extremely mobile and agile organization able to exploit the lack of Military cooperation and political animosity between Morocco and Algeria to its advantage. The no man’s land extending from the Morocco controlled Western Sahara to the Algerian-Mauritanian borders has been a play ground for AQIM in recent months. As the United States tried to reinforce its Military cooperation between Morocco and Algerian, the diplomatic relations between Rabat and Algiers are at all time low hampering Washington efforts to contain AQIM before it strikes a major Western target. According to the Moroccan newspaper Assabah, the volume of  goods, arms and drugs  smuggled in 2009 through Saharan routs  between Morocco, Algeria and Mauritanian is staggering.  The extent of this illicit traffic is alarming as AQIM is knows to use the same bandits to conduct reconnaissance operations and acquire arms, food and other necessities.

More alarming are news reports and intelligence cables alluding to possible links between members of the Algeria backed separatist Polisario Front –a group fighting for the independence of the Western Sahara- and the AQIM. Even though the Secular Polisario is sponsored and backed by the Algerian Military, reports are surfacing about AQIM utilizing low and middle level Polisario fighters in their logistics operations. The declining moral among the Polisario troops coupled with the horrible conditions in the Polisario refugee camps have pushed some Polisario members to freelance for AQIM for a fee. While there will never be  a strategic alliance between the Polisario and AQIM, the deteriorating conditions among the refugees in the Tindouf Camps in Algeria will, without a doubt,  push more of the guerrilla leaders to step up their assistance to AQIM out of necessity rather than political dogma.



As European military and intelligence analysts predict more AQIM attacks, the United States and France are scrambling to find a military and political strategy to contain, if not to eliminate , AQIM’s ability to threaten the stability of Mauritania and Western inters in North Africa and the Sahel region.  Hence,  the shift in the American administration’s position in support of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan for the Western Sahara is a result of a major American push to neutralize all the incentives behind the potency of AQIM. The Algerian government is furious with Washington’s new policy toward the Western Sahara. Algerian diplomats cannot comprehend the reasons behind what Algiers considers as an American pro-Moroccan stands. In fact, the State Department is avoiding the mistakes of Yemen: AQIM must be contained before mounting an attack against American targets.  Also, American diplomats familiar with the region realize the positive security and political implications of resolving the Western Sahara conflict.

The potential of more Polisario involvement with AQIM and the continuous harmful security implications of the ongoing Western Sahara conflict are current and present dangers to the United States national security and the stability of countries in the region. Therefore, a solution that would put an end to this conflict will be a major blow to AQIM.  The Moroccan Local Autonomy Plan seems to be  the solution that goes hand in hand with the American scheme. However, an American backing to the Moroccan initiative is not unconditional. Morocco will have to give its Plan credibility and integrity by implementing true democratic reforms.

 

While MoroccoBoard.com encourages discussion on all subjects, including sensitive ones, the comments posted are solely the views of those submitting them. MoroccoBoard.com does not necessarily endorse or agree with the ideas, views, or opinions voiced in these comments. This is a moderated forum. Comments deemed abusive, offensive, or those containing profanity may not be published.

 
Trackback(0)
Comments (10)add comment
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed

ABDULMUNTACER said:

AGAINST ROMAN ZIONIST TERRORISM AND AMAZIGH HYPOCRISY
Some one wrote this:
(Morocco should never be worried...
As long as USA, France, Israel and Arab League are on Moroccan side, Morocco should not worry about the Western Sahara Separatist clans, BoutaFrika and his generals. Morocco will keep his territory secured and all the Sahrawis will join the rest of the Morrocan Amazights, Arabs and Touregs in peace as moslem brothers to build a democratic society for a prosperous future for the generations to come.)
I want to ask him where did you put the africans ? the real owner of north africa.
I think it is enough with the pretention of amazight and their brain washed by the Zionist service wich made north africa an old amazigh area.
What about the Romans and their Turkish slaves ?
01/20/10

Thomas Hollowell said:

Algerian Terrorism
Well written and thought out. It seems that Morocco is tired of all the "games" that Algeria is playing. By moving ahead with the autonomy plan, they are taking matters into their own hands, as they should. If Moroccan can aid this transition with peace and security, more power to them. The Polisario is a group with whom the US and Morocco will keep an eye on for some time, but can go on ignoring their futile attempts at garnishing international empathy. It is the refugees we care about and bringing solidarity to North Africa, with the best attempts to keep relationships open with all the countries of the Maghreb. These "terrorist" groups might (or already have) infiltrate(d) the Polisario and given them delusions of grandeur in regard to their future in the region.

Thomas Hollowell, author of
"Allah's Garden: A True Story of a Forgotten War in the Sahara Desert of Morocco"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964142392
http://www.allahs-garden.com
01/18/10

Morocelli said:

Patriot don't jump with no pants
I have nothing but the utmost respect for the brave Algerian PEOPLE, the Majority of Moroccans have problem with Bouteflika and his entourage. He is the one who finds every possible venue to screw up Morocco no matter how many hands we have extended him. M6 had asked and asked to turn the page and start new beginning since he inherited the throne and everything Morocco begged for had fallen on deaf ears because it is not in the interest of Bouteflika and his puppets to solve the problem with Morocco. When did you ever see Morocco interfering in Algerian Internal Affairs? Bouteflika never missed a chance to call Morocco an occupier, he forgot that his parents and himself benefited from Morocco in Oujda. The way things stand, at least Israel does not and will not harm Morocco, We have better relationship with Israel than with Bouteflika. Sad but true.
I don't ever recall that Israel wants to divide Morocco, Bouteflika is doing just that. When we had the problem with Spain regarding the Leila/Perjil rock, Bouteflika, his generals and his Media supported Spain. How about the latest fiasco with Haidar? who was celebrating? certainly not the west that you are having problem with. By the way, the west are hosting millions of Moroccans and those Moroccans in turn help Morocco sending Billions of dollars, the generals in Algeria threw the Moroccans out in 1994, let's not go after the west or Israel when the real enemy is Bouteflika and his hawks.
We are past Panarabism. those days are over, because the Arab world is led by dictators who change the constitution to stay president for life and win election with 99.999999% of the vote, guess who did that? certainly not someone from the west or Israel.
Finally, there is one thing I wholehearted agree with you: there is no difference between a Moroccan and an Algerian and I cannot wait to watch Algeria in the world cup in South Africa.



01/17/10

Moroccan Patriot said:

Morcelli, give it a rest
When you talk about State sponsers of terrorism, you are really digging deep. Algeria's govt is about as guilty of sponsering terrorism as Liby's, Egypt's the US's, France's and the UK for that matter. All aggressive states sponser terrorism. It is called foreign policy.

There is no real difference between your average Algerian and your average Moroccan. Ask any Moroccan living in Oujda how they feel about the border being closed and they will give you an earful. Enmity between Muslim brothers serves only Western interests.

By serving as a pawn for western agents, you are putting yourself in league with zionists and their supporters against your own muslim brothers. Is that where you want to be? Why not work towards spreading friendship and brotherly cooperation with our brothers to the east? It is in the collective interests of all Moroccans to cooperate and work out peaceful solutions with muslim brothers.

01/16/10

raf said:

Morocco should never be worried...
As long as USA, France, Israel and Arab League are on Moroccan side, Morocco should not worry about the Western Sahara Separatist clans, BoutaFrika and his generals. Morocco will keep his territory secured and all the Sahrawis will join the rest of the Morrocan Amazights, Arabs and Touregs in peace as moslem brothers to build a democratic society for a prosperous future for the generations to come.
01/16/10

Morcelli said:

Bouteflika's oil revenues did not help
Algeria belongs to this list: Iran, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen.
The US and France placed Algeria in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. Bush did the same thing when he composed the list of Axis of Evil. Algeria actions are terrorizing the maghreb region and it is no accident that The world greatest democracies placed Algeria on that list.
This is a great proof that Algeria's generals headed by bouteflika are doing much harm to their own people.
Most of the Madrid Bombers are Moroccans, the ones that caused chaos in May 2003 are Moroccans but you do not see Morocco in this list because Morocco is a country of peace and harmony. Morocco does not sponsor terrorism in the Sahel.
It seems to me that the oil revenues are not doing much for Bouteflika and his puppets. Morocco under the leadershing of M6 is envied, Algeria needs to get over it and let Morocco solve the Sahara problem, perhaps we could talk to the US and France to remove them from this list.

01/16/10

T said:

Parrot speak
Once again, "terrorism" is the only word that members of the media community can use to try to gain the attention of Washington policy makers. This article is a noble attempt to sway the Administration, Congress, the Pentagon, and any other agencies whose ears perk up at the mere mention of the word. Hopefully,

But several questions need to be asked: first, has the author ever been to the Tindouf refugee camps to witness the "declining morale"? I have spent much time there, I can guarantee you that morale and support for the Polisario Front and Western Saharan independence (not autonomy) is as high as ever. What is meant by low and mid level fighters (for such a comment represents a complete misunderstanding of the structure of the Polisario Front)? Can the author be a bit more specific when referring to the illicit trade through the Sahara as "staggering"? What exactly is meant by the following phrase: "The no man’s land extending from the Morocco controlled Western Sahara to the Algerian-Mauritanian borders has been a play ground for AQIM in recent months"? How has the AQIM been "playing" in the Western Sahara? This careless use of unfounded words and phrases worked well during the Cold War, but I had hoped we had advanced since then.

Hopefully, the current administration is more adept then the last at avoiding the urge to let its policy decisions be made by terrorist name-calling games. I appreciate the author's concern for our national security, and I, too, hope for a resolution to the Western Saharan conflict - one decided by the will of the Saharawi people who inhabit it.
01/16/10

Johnny le Frog said:

propoganda is GOOD for you
Morocco and Mauritania invaded the Western Sahara.
Mauritania retreated after a beating. Morocco stayed.
The UN decided that the occupation was illegal and placed the country under its administration. Algeria allowed refugees from this illegal occupation to set up camp on Algerian territory.
As these refugees, the Polisario, would really like their own country back, Morocco, with the aid of western powers such as the USA and the EU, who have vested interests in controlling this area, play the propoganda game. If the earth was to be invaded by green men from Mars you can be pretty sure that the Polisario and the Touaregs from Mali and Niger would be found to be in league with them.
Who gains from the signing of the fishing rights deal between the EU and the occupiers of Western Sahara?
Who gains from controlling the ocean access for future oil exports?
Who gains from the "boots on the ground" strategy for the US occupation (well, they call it "offering military aid in the ongoing war on terror") of the Sahel?
I'm sure that no legal native of the Western Sahara, or the lands of the Touareg, receive any benefit from any of these deals and, as long as there big money deals involved, they never will.
Still, keep on believing. It's GOOD for you.
01/16/10

Obori said:

A neighbor to be exposed
Well said Morcelli. Algeria had a bloody decade in the Nineties. If they keep opposing Morocco, they will see more trouble coming in, not from Morocco, but from inside, mostly for not dealing with their internal issues. "If your house is made of glass don't throw stones on others". Moroccans are ought to expose to the world the kind of neighbor they have. As Morocco's number one issue is to secure its territorial integrity, for Algerian government is to stop any progress that can happen in Morocco.
01/15/10

Morcelli said:

Algeria Terrorist according to the US and France
After the failed bombing by the Nigerian dude, The Obama administration placed Algeria among countries sponsoring terrorism or countries with terrorists . Instead of working on bettering its image, Algeria is in an ongoing process to screw up Morocco. Now even France placed Algerian Nationals under tremendous scrutiny in airports.

When you attack your neighbor day in and day out and you want your neighbor to be harmed and you try and use all your resources to mess your neighbor up, this neighbor who happened to be Arab, Maghrebin, Muslim and above all, a brother or a sister, don't expect good things.
The Algerian government thought that their oil revenues will prevent countries like France and the US from calling a spade a spade. These countries are democracies and they care about their people not like Algerian generals headed by bouteflika who never stop stealing from the Algerian people.
When you are a democracy, no authoritarian regime can harm you.

Morocco has its flaws and they are many byt at least you do not see us after the destruction Algeria or others.



01/15/10

Write comment

busy