VZCZCXYZ0015
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #1022 1691655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181655Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6737
INFO RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 1522
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA PRIORITY 3137

UNCLAS RABAT 001022 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG AND PM/PPA - RACHEL FEATHERSTONE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO MARR MASS MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO'S PARTICIPATION IN COESPU 
 
REF: STATE 77527 
 
This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Poloff met June 12 with MFA Bilateral Affairs 
Officer Karim Halim to encourage Moroccan participation in 
the next round of COESPU courses.  Poloff explained, for the 
first time and in part based on Moroccan suggestion, COESPU 
will offer its courses in French taught by instructors from 
the French Gendarmerie.  Halim, while generally favorable to 
the new development, posed several questions he said would 
need to be resolved before he could provide a substantive 
response, including: How many French and English language 
slots are available for Morocco? How long will each course 
last? If Morocco can not fully fund its candidates, would 
U.S. funding assistance cover all associated costs in 
addition to travel? What countries would be included in a 
Mobile Assistance Team?  (Comment: Halim's inquires, while 
legitimate, are likely a tactic to provide additional time to 
obtain a coordinated GOM response on COESPU participation. 
End Comment.) 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On June 14, Italian DCM Luca Fratini told Polcouns 
that the Italian Embassy in Rabat had sent an official note 
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 13 that answered 
many of Halim's questions. (NB: As of June 18, the MFA had 
yet to respond to the Italian message.) Fratini explained, 
from the Italian point of view, the GOM's largest obstacle to 
COESPU participation has been removed and Morocco should 
reciprocate with maximum participation. The Italian Embassy 
also plans to encourage Moroccan attendance via its Defense 
Attache, added Fratini.  Post will report further responses 
septel. 
 
 
****************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
****************************************** 
 
RILEY