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R 010724Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8496
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 4756
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0217
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0679
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3159
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 2347
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3582
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RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3725
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RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1601
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 9594
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 4038
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM, NEA/MAG, NEA/RA, EUR/RPM AND AF/RSA 
EUCOM PLEASE PASS TO AFRICOM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2028 
TAGS: MARR PREL PINS MO
SUBJECT: MFA POL/MIL CHIEF: AFRICA OPPOSES AFRICOM PRESENCE 
ON THE CONTINENT 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
Military Affairs Chief Karim Halim recently criticized U.S. 
military plans for an AFRICOM presence in Africa, 
underscoring that the vast majority of African countries 
considered any U.S. military presence in Africa to be a 
provocation.  While not objecting to the constitution of a 
regional command, per se, Halim was also critical of 
AFRICOM's planned sub-regional orientation, calling it a 
confusing model and inappropriate for the African context and 
opined that AFRICOM should remain off-continent and emphasize 
countries, not sub-regional African groups.  The Embassy has 
been receiving an increasingly negative message from the 
Moroccan MFA on AFRICOM, contrasting with somewhat more 
positive signals coming from Moroccan military interlocutors 
of the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation.  End summary. 
 
Critical of AFRICOM Presence in Africa 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) On April 3, 2008, Poloff met with Moroccan MFA 
Military Affairs Chief Karim Halim to discuss bilateral 
security issues after Halim's recent participation in the 
DoD-sponsored African Dialogue conference at Airlie House, 
Virginia (March 25-28).  Reporting directly to MFA Director 
General Yousef Amrani, Halim is our principal interlocutor on 
political/military and counterterrorism affairs.  Halim said 
that while Morocco would appreciate the opportunity to 
participate in future conferences of this sort, he expressed 
many reservations about the orientation of AFRICOM toward 
Africa and toward Morocco, in particular.  Halim said that no 
matter how well intentioned AFRICOM may be, its plan for a 
presence in Africa, however diffused, is "seen by most 
African countries as a provocation, given the backdrop of the 
current U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan." 
 
¶3.  (C) Halim considered the perception of AFRICOM intentions 
in Africa to be very bad among African countries; this 
perception having been compounded by the high-profile media 
coverage of AFRICOM's planned orientation toward Africa.  He 
noted, with irony, that the broad opposition to AFRICOM's 
planned presence in Africa was the first time in his career 
that he had ever seen fifty-three African countries agree on 
anything.  He recommended that AFRICOM's presence should 
remain completely European-based and have military relations 
handled in a traditional bilateral manner through U.S. 
Embassies in each country. 
 
Regional Orientation Also Misplaced 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Halim was also critical of AFRICOM's planned diffused 
sub-regional orientation, calling it a confusing model and 
inappropriate for the African context.  He said that the 
overriding orientation of most African countries was to seek 
better bilateral relations with the U.S. (in this case, 
within a military context) with little regard, or even 
disdain, for putting military dialogue within a regional 
context. 
 
¶5.  (C) Halim considered AFRICOM's orientation toward 
collective African organizations (e.g., African Union, 
ECOWAS, and African Maghreb Union) to be misplaced.  Halim 
expressed frustration that AFRICOM appeared to be opening up 
dialogue with groups like the African Union, a group from 
which Morocco is excluded.  He added that some subregional 
groupings being contemplated by AFRICOM (such as around Sudan 
and Nigeria) would not succeed since, in the case of Sudan, 
there is no military interlocutor with which AFRICOM can 
deal, and in the case of Nigeria, the military is very small 
and has a completely different agenda than its neighbors.  In 
sum, Halim opined that AFRICOM should emphasize countries and 
 
not sub-regional or other African groups. 
 
Military Also Cautious But Less Critical 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) In early April, Moroccan COL Mohamed Rafia (Senior 
Advisor to Chief of Military Logistics Major General Tamdi) 
told our ODC Chief that Morocco was in a good position to 
host an AFRICOM element but that given today,s global 
political climate and the negative perception of the current 
U.S. administration in the Arab world, Morocco would have to 
wait until after the U.S. presidential election before 
considering hosting an AFRICOM HQ element or other entity. 
Although underscoring the extensive and positive military 
cooperation between the GOM and the United States, Rafia 
criticized AFRICOM,s regional, specifically African Union, 
focus, adding that the relationship could best be improved if 
kept in a bilateral orientation. 
 
¶7.  (C) Comment:  Although it looks more to the Arab World 
and even Europe and the United States, Morocco remains deeply 
engaged in Africa.  Halim's views appear to reflect those of 
his bosses.  The Embassy has been receiving an increasingly 
negative message from the Moroccan MFA over the last year 
regarding an AFRICOM presence in Africa, contrasting with 
more positive signals coming from Moroccan military 
interlocutors of the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation. 
 Among the public, however, AFRICOM's presence is also 
controversial.  Almost any U.S. military activity evokes 
press coverage raising concerns about AFRICOM possibly 
establishing a base in Morocco.  General Ward may wish to 
reiterate that AFRICOM will be headquartered in Stuttgart 
during his next visit to Morocco.  End Comment. 
 
 
***************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
***************************************** 
 
Riley