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DE RUEHCL #0947/01 2261206
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 141206Z AUG 06
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
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RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0679
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0214
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 3664
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 2191
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RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 1953
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0489

C O N F I D E N T I A L CASABLANCA 000947 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, INR/NESA/NAP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015 
TAGS: MO PGOV PINR
SUBJECT: On the Edge of the Arab World Morocco Joins in the Fray 
 
Ref: Casablanca 903 
 
Classified By: Principal Officer Douglas C. Greene for Reasons 1.4 
(b), (d). 
 
¶1.  (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 with Lebanon.  The leaders of the 
march added their voices to those already calling for boycotts of 
American products.  The demonstration, and others like it coordinated 
by Islamic parties and organizations, have left Casablanca's 
moderates feeling isolated and concerned about the country's future. 
End Summary. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
"All United Against the United States" 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  In the last month, the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca has been 
the setting of sit-ins, protests and rallies, sometimes more than one 
a week.  To date, the largest demonstration in the city was on 
Sunday, August 6, when approximately 45,000 Moroccans, according to 
our security contacts, marched to express their solidarity with 
Hizballah and their strong anger at the U.S.  Originally planned to 
occur in a district away from the Consulate, the march ended nearer 
than expected.  Photos of the march appeared on the front page of 
nearly every Moroccan newspaper.  "L'Economist," a widely read, 
French language newspaper printed a large color photo of an American 
flag being trampled during the march.  It also reported U.S. flags 
being burned (reportedly more than Israeli flags) throughout the day. 
 Marchers carried banners with anti-American sentiments such as, 
"Stop the terrorism of the United States" and "The Butchery of Qana 
is an American Crime, Executed by the Israelis."  People waved 
portraits of Che Guevara and even Sadam Hussein while chanting 
"Allah, Allah, we are all Hizballah." 
 
¶3.  (C)  The march was organized by The Association for the Support 
of the Struggle of the Palestinian People and The Moroccan Action 
Group to Support Iraq and Palestine, and supported by the Party of 
Justice and Development (PJD) and the Organization for Justice and 
Charity (JCO).  The aim of the march was to demonstrate solidarity 
with the Lebanese, but it was also a call for support of Hizballah 
leader Hassan Nasrallah.  During the march, Nasrallah was hailed as 
the "hero" of the Arab people who "fights for dignity and liberty." 
Photos of women, most of whom wore headscarves, and children carrying 
signs that stated, "We are all Hizballah, we are all militants" 
appeared throughout the media. 
 
¶4.  (C)  In a conversation with poloff, a longtime local employee of 
the Consulate claimed, "Nasrallah use to be wild and out of control 
and the Israelis were calm, now it's the opposite.  Nasrallah is 
making sense and winning over all who thought he was an extremist." 
Two former Moroccan International Visitor participants echoed the 
sentiment during a recent lunch with PAO and CAO.  "Shi'a Hassan 
Nasrallah has acquired the status of Gamal Abdul Nasser because he 
has stood up to Western powers" one of the participants declared. 
 
------------------------- 
Calls for Boycotts Abound 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  At the end of the three hour march, Abdelilah Benkirane, of 
the PJD, delivered a speech in which he congratulated all the 
participants for "answering the call" and demanded a boycott of all 
American products.  A similar demand was made recently by the 
National Trade Union of the Moroccan press, which called for 
"Moroccan civil society organizations and the Moroccan media to 
boycott all the activities of the American Embassy and of the 
institutions related to it."  A well-known Moroccan comedian 
asserted, during the demonstration, that "the American products that 
should be boycotted are not food and drink but the Arab regimes (they 
keep in power)." 
 
¶6.  (C)  There have been some indications that the calls for boycotts 
are having a limited impact.  We were forced to cancel an upcoming 
special International Visitor Program (IVP) for female Moroccan union 
leaders of Casablanca.  All but one of the ten invitees of the 
much-anticipated program called to cancel or declined the offer to 
participate.  Some stated up front that they would not be involved in 
a program sponsored by the USG at this time, while others claimed the 
program was ill timed and conflicted with scheduled union elections. 
We later learned that the Directors General of a number of the unions 
told the potential participants they were not to take part in any 
program sponsored by the USG.  Along the same lines, American 
businesses are starting express some concern.  Recently, one of the 
larger American companies in Morocco, Proctor and Gamble, contacted 
the Consulate's Foreign Commercial Service Office in anticipation of 
possible problems after seeing their name surface on one of the 
boycott lists. 
 
------------------------ 
None Safe from Criticism 
------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (C)  As expected, the U.S. and Israel were the main targets of 
condemnation during the August 6, march, however, the GOM did not 
escape unassailed.  According to the French Language daily, Le Matin, 
spontaneous chants of condemnation of the Moroccan government 
exploded throughout the march.  The paper was also very critical of 
the lack of participation by members of the government.  (Note: It is 
surprising that Le Matin, normally pro-regime, was so critical of the 
GOM and its officials.  End Note) 
 
 
---------------------------- 
Consulate Contacts Speak Out 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C)  Some of our contacts have been very candid about their 
feelings and concerns regarding the situation and are eager to 
deliver their message.  Mohamed M'Jid, activist, anti-Islamist, and 
president of the Moroccan Foundation for Youth, Initiative, and 
Development, said during a lunch on August 3, that "Just as in 
Lebanon, where Israel is planting the seeds of terrorism, so the 
seeds are being planted here as well."  M'Jid said there is "major 
unhappiness" in Morocco and that people are watching pan-Arab 
television, and are focused on the situation.  Another contact, 
Nouzha Skalli, outspoken advocate for reform and Party of Progress 
and Socialism (PPS) parliamentarian, pulled the Consul General aside 
during "Throne Day" celebrations to make an impassioned statement 
about what she sees this war doing to moderates in the region.  Her 
concern, a concern shared by others to whom we have spoken, is that, 
due in part to recent regional developments,  "extremists and 
Islamists are gaining influence at the expense of the moderates" 
insinuating that there will be a reversal of the progress Morocco has 
made in recent years as Islamists gain support. 
 
¶9.  (C)  Meanwhile, in a very open and frank discussion, longtime 
Consulate Moroccan employees told us that most Moroccans are 
preoccupied with the war.  One employee is convinced that "this 
situation legitimizes terrorism in the eyes of Arabs."  He is 
concerned that Morocco is now experiencing the worst anti-American 
sentiment in decades and, somewhat dramatically, asserted that "it 
will take generations to get past what we are now experiencing."  The 
sharpening of comments we hear is unusual.  Events in the Middle 
East, far from Morocco on the western edge of the Arab world often 
meet with subdued reactions here.  During a conversation, several 
months ago a number of university students told poloff that they were 
sick of hearing about Palestine.  "We have problems of our own," they 
complained. 
 
------------------- 
Loss of Credibility 
------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C)  Moderate political activists in Casablanca have expressed 
concern that the U.S. is losing it standing in the region(reftel). 
Some worry that the U.S. has lost what little credibility it had 
remaining as a "neutral" mediator in the "Middle East peace process." 
 One Moroccan who participated in the protest told us afterwards, 
"The U.S. should no longer preach for democracy in the Arab world, 
while being unjust towards the Arabs, and unconditionally supportive 
of the Israelis, while openly encouraging their butcheries."  "How 
can they preach democracy," he continued, "when Hamas, which was 
elected democratically, is being condemned by the entire West?" 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (C)  Moroccan reaction in Casablanca is more than meets the eye. 
 With 2007 parliamentary elections coming up, anti-American 
demonstrations and rhetoric are useful to Islamist parties like the 
PJD.  Their intentions are twofold: while the anti-American slogans 
and demonstrations help to broaden their base, they simultaneously 
damage the position of the moderate parties, which support democratic 
reform. 
 
GREENE