VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCL #0633 1601510
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091510Z JUN 06
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6779
INFO RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 7610
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS CASABLANCA 000633 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/CT, EB AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN KFTN PTER XF MO
SUBJECT: Diplomatic Note Received: Morocco's Terrorism 
and Anti-Money Laundering Efforts 
 
REF: A.   CASABLANCA 576 
     ¶B.   RABAT 897 
     ¶C.   CASABLANCA 457 
¶D.   RABAT 234 
 
(SBU)  This cable is sensitive but unclassified, please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On June 7 , Embassy received diplomatic note 
BZ/1673/DG7 dated June 6, 2006, from the Government of 
Morocco (GOM) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Cooperation's (MFA's), Office of Bilateral relations. 
The note is in response to recent demarches (reftels) 
encouraging continued efforts on the part of the GOM to 
combat terrorism finance and pass long awaited Anti- 
Money Laundering (AML) legislation.  Full text of 
dipnote follows paragraph 2. 
 
¶2.  Text of Diplomatic Note BZ/1673/DG7: 
 
Begin text: 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the 
Kingdom of Morocco presents its compliments to the 
Embassy of the United States of America in Rabat and, 
following its demarche on Moroccan progress relative to 
the fight against terrorism financing, has the honor to 
inform the Embassy hereinafter about the elements of 
information provided by the Ministry of Finance and 
Privatization: 
 
The bill relative to the fight against money laundering 
has been approved by the Government council during its 
April 19, 2006 meeting. 
 
Regarding the implementation of the MENA/FATF 
taskforce's special recommendation relative to cash 
smugglers, actions taken against them are limited to 
measures taken within the framework of the fight 
against fraud in general, while waiting for the 
adoption of legislation on money laundering. These 
actions cover the trafficking of currency, either 
during operations at the borders, or regarding money 
found within the framework of a posteriori controls 
carried out in import or export companies. 
 
Similarly, a control of travelers at the country's 
borders operates on the basis of targeting, which is 
founded on risk analysis and use of information. This 
control can also be triggered following notifications 
or denunciations of fraud, or even in a completely 
random way. 
 
Moreover, we need to point out the possibility for non- 
resident travelers to do a facultative declaration of 
currency at the entrance for sums whose exchange value 
is more than response. 
 
End text. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Comment:  The diplomatic note provides no new 
information.  We continue to wait for AML legislation 
to be presented to parliament and passed into law.  AML 
passage and implementation remain the missing pieces in 
Morocco's counter-terrorism finance efforts.  The draft 
bill has languished for more than three years in inter- 
ministerial consideration, although recent passage of 
the bill by the Moroccan Council of Government chaired 
by the Prime Minister has rekindled hopes that the bill 
may be passed into law by the end of this year. 
Banking contacts warn us however that AML 
implementation will be challenging and likely require a 
significant adjustment period before the law can be 
considered fully in effect. 
 
GREENE