VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0126/01 0431758
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121758Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1211
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0207
RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000126 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM, IO/PSC AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2020 
TAGS: OVIP MARR KPKO HA MO
SUBJECT: COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS FOCUSES ON 
EXERCISES AND PEACEKEEPING DURING MOROCCO VISIT 
 
REF: RABAT 0125 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Samuel L. Kaplan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C/NF) Summary:  General Conway, the Commandant of the 
Marine Corps, visited Rabat, February 3-5.  During his 
meeting with General Bennani, the two Generals discussed 
exercises, exchanges and support.  General Conway expressed 
his desire to strengthen AFRICAN LION.  He said that U.S. 
Marines were on tough ground in Afghanistan, and he appealed 
to General Bennani to consider sending Moroccan troops to 
Afghanistan and back to Haiti as part of the UN peacekeeping 
mission there (MINUSTAH).  General Bennani said that he has 
used the U.S. Marines as a model for the Moroccan Royal Armed 
Forces.  As for MINUSTAH, Embassy subsequently learned that 
Morocco will not send peacekeepers there because Haiti 
recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), General 
James T. Conway, visited Rabat February 3 ) 5, 2010 to meet 
the Ambassador and members of the country team, as well as 
the Inspector General of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces, 
General de Corps d,Armee Abdelaziz Bennani.  The Commandant 
was accompanied by the USMC Deputy Commandant for Manpower 
and Reserve Affairs, Lieutenant General Richard C. Zilmer, 
the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations, 
Lieutenant General Thomas D. Waldhauser, and Sergeant Major 
of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent.  General Conway 
reinforced the strong relationship between the U.S. and 
Moroccan militaries, and discussed the possible enlargement 
of Exercise AFRICAN LION, the improvement of infrastructure 
for exercises, USMC interest in a renewed Status of Forces 
Agreement (SOFA), the opportunity for Morocco to contribute 
force to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti 
(MINUSTAH), and the prospect for Morocco to contribute 
training forces to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) General Conway characterized his visit to Rabat as 
supporting DoS and DoD objectives.  He expressed satisfaction 
that his travel provided an opportunity for a stop in 
Morocco.  He acknowledged that Marines were on tough ground 
in Afghanistan, as they had been in Iraq, but that they were 
where Marines were needed and best-suited in order to achieve 
the environment required for indigenous security forces to be 
able to sustain a lasting peace.  He appreciated that Morocco 
is a strong partner in countering extremism in the 
trans-Sahara region, that Morocco provides an excellent 
training opportunity for reserve Marine forces in Exercise 
AFRICAN LION, and offered to consider the possibility of 
Marine Expeditionary Unit augmentation of this year,s 
AFRICAN LION if training and transit schedules permitted. 
 
¶4.  (C/NF) General Conway thanked General Bennani for the 
opportunity to meet, and recounted his appreciation for the 
long ties between the two countries.  He stated he sought to 
strengthen those ties through exercises, exchanges, and 
support.  He expressed his desire to increase the 
sophistication of AFRICAN LION, in conjunction with U.S. 
Africa Command, possibly this year.  He noted the need for 
infrastructure improvement in the exercise area in order to 
support increased participation and expressed his strong 
desire for an updated SOFA in order to provide Marines 
enduring protection as they increased numbers during the 
exercise.  He asked General Bennani if Morocco would consider 
force contribution to MINUSTAH in the wake of the earthquake, 
alongside the U.S., and asked him to consider the addition of 
Morocco to the large circle of countries providing support to 
the NATO mission in Afghanistan as trainers of Afghan 
security forces. 
 
¶5.  (C/NF) General Bennani welcomed General Conway,s visit 
both professionally and personally, expressing his esteem for 
USMC training, esprit, and capability.  He related how he had 
sought to model his forces after the USMC and how he had 
sought their participation in exercises in Morocco.  He 
emphasized that cooperation was strong between the Royal 
Armed Forces and all U.S. military forces but especially 
strong with the USMC.  He thanked the Ambassador for the 
assistance given to get Moroccan medical relief to Haiti.  He 
stated that he would communicate to the King the request for 
Moroccan contribution to MINUSTAH, and the possibility for 
Moroccan support to NATO in Afghanistan in a training role, 
and that a response would be provided at the appropriate 
level with the assumption that this same request would be 
extended through formal diplomatic channels. 
 
¶6.  (C/NF) General Bennani appeared subdued throughout the 
 
discussion and ensuing luncheon.  He was scrupulously 
courteous but not particularly talkative, permitting 
subordinates to carry the conversation over lunch.  He was 
philosophical in response to a question from General Conway 
on the role of moderates in overcoming extremism, positing 
that it is the role of governments to study and apply only 
those means that will work; that force is necessary as a 
threat but that only economic and social development will 
push back extremists.  He did not appear eager to become 
involved in Afghanistan, offering that ethnicities, terrain, 
religions, and history would make any task very difficult. 
It was notable that he took a phone call reportedly directly 
from the King during the meeting. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  In sum, General Conway,s visit 
reinforced the already strong relationship between the U.S. 
and Moroccan militaries, supported well-known U.S. interest 
in exercise infrastructure improvement and SOFA, opened a 
window to potential robusting of AFRICAN LION, and served to 
request Moroccan consideration of force contribution to 
MINUSTAH and NATO in Afghanistan. 
 
¶8.  (C) Comment Continued:  Embassy subsequently learned that 
Morocco will not send peacekeepers to Haiti because that 
nation recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.  In 
fact, it was the act of recognition that led Morocco to 
withdraw its previous peacekeepers from Haiti.  End Comment. 
 
¶9.  (U) General Conway did not have an opportunity to clear 
this message. 
 
 
***************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco 
***************************************** 
KAPLAN