VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0618/01 0970813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070813Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3315
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3882
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2875
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3102
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4127
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 8767
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 1510
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS RABAT 000618 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PI, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PBTS MO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY OFFICERS DISCUSS FOREIGN POLICY WITH 
STUDENTS AT AL-AKHAWAYN UNIVERSITY 
 
¶1.  (U)  This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Summary:  Poloffs visited Morocco's prestigious 
Al-Akhawayn University on April 3 to meet with faculty and 
discuss US-Morocco relations and human rights with 
undergraduate and graduate students as part of the mission's 
public diplomacy outreach effort.  The roughly fifty students 
who attended remained engaged for the full two hours and 
asked more standard questions ranging from the US policy on 
the Western Sahara and the Free Trade Agreement to tougher 
questions on Iraq, US human rights violations, and perceived 
US support for leading dissident Nadia Yassine.  Students 
requested that the USG increase efforts to resolve the 
Palestinian conflict and the Western Sahara, while others 
requested increased funding for programs in Morocco.  We hope 
this positive exchange will broaden into a regular exchange 
with this important university.  End Summary. 
 
¶3.  (U) On April 3, Polcouns and Poloff visited Al-Akhawayn 
University in Ifrane.   This private university is the only 
English-language school of higher education in Morocco. 
(Note:  Ifrane is located in the foothills of the Atlas 
mountains two hours from Rabat and was built by the French 
ca. 1910.)  The purpose of the visit was to meet with the 
Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, 
Mohammed Dahbi, and political science and international 
relations faculty members as well as to discuss US/Morocco 
relations and human rights.  The invitation was extended by 
Audra Grant, who worked at INR from 1999-2004, and is now an 
associate professor of international relations at Akhawayn. 
The lecture and discussion were open to the campus of 
approximately 1100 students, and was well-advertised; several 
faculty required graduate students to participate. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Polcouns opened with an overview of the US/Morocco 
bilateral relationship, describing it as dynamic and 
expanding on the basis of partnerships and growing interests 
between the two countries.  Polcouns encouraged the audience 
to view the FTA as an opportunity for Moroccan creativity and 
entrepreneurship to shine through.  Polcouns stressed US 
support for Moroccan reforms and emphasized the US 
encouragement for improved relations and better dialogue 
between the GOM and Algeria. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Poloff discussed the human rights reports on 
Morocco and the Western Sahara, and distributed copies to the 
students.  Poloff noted that these reports, along with the 
International Religious Freedom and Trafficking in Persons 
reports, are readily available on the internet.  The fact 
that the reports rely on the GOM, national and international 
nongovernmental organizations reports, press reports and 
individuals' conversations with Missionoffs was stressed. 
Recognizing that aspects of the report depend on several 
individuals making sound judgments seemed to resonate with 
the students.  As the process of producing the reports is not 
widely understood, Poloff explained this as well. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The students asked insightful questions, some of 
which focused on how the USG views the "Arab" or "Muslim" 
World (Umm al-Arabiyya/Dar al-Islam).  As the students 
represented various religious and political understandings, 
according to the faculty members, the variety of their 
questions was not surprising.  Poloffs emphasized the 
positive nature of the bi-lateral relationship and that this 
relationship is growing and evolving based on emerging needs 
as well as long-term interests. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Following the robust question and answer period, 
which focused primarily on the Western Sahara, the FTA, press 
freedoms and specifics in the human rights report, e.g., the 
Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER), Polcouns asked 
the students if they had any special messages for the USG. 
We had several responses:  the USG needs to be more involved 
in the resolution of the Western Sahara issue, help Morocco 
with the "Algerian threat," and it must increase efforts to 
resolve the Palestinian conflict.  One student said that the 
US must "polish its image in the Arab-Muslim world" and 
should use a "marketing" perspective.  When this student made 
her comment, several others nodded in agreement as they did 
when another student said that the USG should provide more 
funding to Morocco. 
 
 
****************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
****************************************** 
 
Riley