VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #1986/01 2961609
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 231609Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5019
INFO RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 5591
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 3336
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 4417
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 9083
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3125
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA PRIORITY 2284
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0040
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0181
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0629
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 001986 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, T FOR UNDERSECRETARY JOSEPH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2016 
 
TAGS: KGIC EAID ECON KPAO PGOV PREL PTER MCAP MO
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR U/S JOSEPH'S VISIT TO MOROCCO 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) The U.S. Mission warmly welcomes your upcoming visit 
to Morocco.  Your visit as co-chair of the Global Initiative 
to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GI) comes as the U.S. and the 
Moroccan government are further energizing our bilateral 
relations.  Since the May 2003 terrorist attacks in 
Casablanca, Morocco has strengthened its commitment to fight 
global terrorism and promote widespread reform, and 
cooperation with the USG on both of these fronts is 
excellent.  Morocco is a valuable ally in international 
forums; the Guatemalans recently told U/S Burns that the 
Moroccans were actively supporting them against Venezuela for 
the UNSC seat.  Your visit will reinforce our relationship, 
while also enhancing Morocco's profile on multilateral 
international security. 
 
----------------- 
Global Initiative 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Morocco was honored that the U.S. and Russia asked it 
to host the first GI meeting.  The GOM was particularly glad 
that it was accorded observer status for the meeting, 
allowing Morocco to make a fully informed decision when it is 
asked to be the first country to join the GI after the twelve 
Initial Partner Nations.  Should Morocco accept, you may want 
to use this opportunity to praise Morocco on the active role 
it plays on issues of critical importance to international 
security and convey our strong desire to work closely with 
the GOM on the Board of Governors as we face challenges from 
Iran and North Korea. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Non-Proliferation, Energy and NATO 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Since its accession to the IAEA in 1957, Morocco has 
continuously worked to strengthen non-proliferation efforts, 
ensure compliance with nuclear safety and security standards, 
and promote the use of nuclear energy for peaceful use.  In 
2004, Morocco concluded the Additional Protocol to its 
Safeguard Agreement with the IAEA.  Morocco plays an active 
role, regionally, in promoting scientific and technical 
cooperation, and continues to be a stabilizing force on 
disarmament topics within the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).  As 
a newly seated IAEA Board of Governors member, Morocco will 
follow its track record of strong support on key 
non-proliferation and disarmament initiatives, but will 
continue to argue that the right of all countries to peaceful 
uses of nuclear energy should be protected, recently 
evidenced by its repeated request to include language on this 
point in the GI Statement of Principles. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Given its burgeoning demand for electricity, 
Morocco is considering plans to develop a nuclear power plant 
to meet its energy demands and is exploring options with the 
full range of possible international suppliers.  During 
President Putin's September visit to Morocco, press rumors 
circulated about Russia's interest in the project, sparked by 
a press statement from a Russian firm expressing its 
intention to bid on any tender by the Moroccan government for 
a nuclear power plant.  Separate press reports indicated that 
senior Moroccan energy officials traveled to Russia in August 
to discuss Morocco's nuclear energy plans. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Morocco is prepared to play a more active role in 
NATO, specifically in the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD).  On 
April 7, Morocco hosted a high-level NATO event that united, 
for the first time, NATO Allies and MD partners (Algeria, 
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia) in a 
MD country.  This was the first time the North Atlantic 
Council had met outside a NATO country.  The event also 
highlighted Morocco,s extensive participation in 
international peacekeeping. (NB: Morocco is currently 
involved in five peacekeeping missions throughout the world - 
Kosovo, Bosnia, Congo, Ivory Coast, and Haiti.) 
 
----------------- 
Supporting Reform 
----------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Morocco is a regional leader in reform, and the 
Moroccan leadership views reform and religious tolerance as 
essential components of the battle against extremism and 
terrorism.  Morocco is pressing internal reform on all 
fronts: political, with legislation to reform Moroccan 
political parties and electoral code; in women's rights, 
through implementation of a new family code that boosts the 
rights of women and children; in the media, with perhaps the 
freest press in the Arab world; in the economy, with 
reform-fed growth and a recent Free Trade Agreement with the 
U.S.; and, in the religious field, where Morocco's Ministry 
of Endowments and Islamic Affairs is restructuring mosques 
and Islamic education to promote tolerance and moderation. 
Despite the GOM's efforts, however, we hear persistent 
concerns that change is not happening fast enough and that 
reform is almost entirely driven top down from the Palace. 
Morocco has not moved forward with its stated intention to 
decriminalize libel.  Over the longer term, constitutional 
reform will be necessary to strengthen the role of parliament 
and democratically elected officials. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The USG actively supports many of Morocco's reform 
efforts, including through direct funding.  Morocco is a 
major recipient of funding through the Middle East 
Partnership Initiative (MEPI), economic support funds, and 
development assistance.  In FY 2006, USAID programs faced a 
significant reduction from the years after the 2003 bombings. 
 The Millennium Challenge Corporation is currently 
considering assistance of up to $700 million over five years. 
 On the military side, however, potential FMF cuts in FY 2008 
would hamper Morocco's and our own efforts to sustain the 
large stock of U.S.-origin military equipment that remains a 
backbone of their holdings. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Middle East: the Palestinians, Iraq, Iran 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Morocco continues to be a moderating voice in the 
Middle East.  This year the GOM welcomed Mahmoud Abbas but 
refused a proposed high-level Hamas visit.  King Mohammed met 
with Shimon Peres in Madrid last year.  However, the Israeli 
liaison office in Rabat, closed during the second intifada, 
remains shuttered.  The recent fighting in Lebanon has had 
very negative effects on public opinion toward both Israel 
and the U.S. 
 
¶9.  (C) The Government of Morocco continues to play a 
discreet but supportive role in Iraq.  Morocco has welcomed 
some key events in Iraq, but is inconsistent in publicly 
supporting major political developments.  Two employees of 
the Moroccan Embassy in Baghdad were kidnapped last October - 
a case that remains unresolved. 
 
¶10.  (C) Iranian Vice President for Legal and Parliamentary 
Affairs Musavi visited Morocco in early January and was 
received by PM Jettou, who told him that Iran must comply 
with international law and non-proliferation conventions. 
Moroccans vocally support the right of Iran to develop 
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but also support U.S. 
efforts to deal with the issue multilaterally, believing 
another military confrontation must be avoided at all costs. 
The GOM is also concerned about Iranian "meddling" in Iraq. 
 
-------------------------- 
Western Sahara and Algeria 
-------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (C) Morocco's relations with Algeria are sour with no 
immediate prospects for improvement.  The Western Sahara 
issue remains a key obstacle in improving relations; a 
majority of the Moroccan army is deployed there.  Algeria 
continues to insist on a solution that allows for 
self-determination with an option for independence.  Morocco 
insists the territory is an integral part of the Kingdom and 
rejects any option that allows for the possibility of 
independence.  The American military observers in MINURSO, 
the peacekeeping force in the territory, departed in 2003. 
The U.S. facilitated in August 2005 the release of the 
remaining 404 POWs held by the Polisario, with tremendous 
positive public diplomacy impact.  The Sahara remains a 
primary topic of discussion, particularly since a decision in 
July 2006 to encourage Morocco to produce a credible autonomy 
plan as a basis for negotiations leading to an agreed 
political settlement. 
 
****************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
****************************************** 
 
Riley