VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0066/01 0321847
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011847Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1106
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 0068

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR H, NEA/RA AND NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2020 
TAGS: OREP PREL KPAL PINS MO
SUBJECT: CODEL GREGG DISCUSSES MEPP AND COUNTER-EXTREMISM 
WITH FOREIGN MINISTER AND INTELLIGENCE CHIEF 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Samuel L. Kaplan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  CODEL Gregg held an open and wide-ranging 
discussion with Foreign Minister Fassi Fihri and Director 
General for Studies and Documentation (Director of National 
Intelligence equivalent) Mansouri in a joint meeting on 
January 5.  They focused on making progress on the 
Israeli-Palestinian issue and combating terrorism.  Fassi 
Fihri emphasized the importance of the U.S. making even small 
steps on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to give 
Palestinians hope for peace.  On countering extremism, Fassi 
Fihri focused on Moroccan-U.S. cooperation and on follow-up 
to the President's Cairo speech.  Mansouri discussed 
combating "depraved" ideologies through political efforts 
that would divert potential extremists away from such 
ideologies by giving them hope for the future.  He also 
stated that Morocco is a true model of tolerant Islam.  Fassi 
Fihri and Mansouri -- despite the differences in their roles 
within the Moroccan Government -- politely deferred to each 
other and focused on their respective specialties throughout 
the discussion.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) During the CODEL's visit to Rabat on January 5, 
Senators Judd Gregg, Evan Bayh, Arlen Specter, Michael Enzi, 
John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar and Ambassador Kaplan met with 
Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri and Director General for 
Studies and Documentation (National Security Advisor 
equivalent and defacto national security advisor) Mohamed 
Yassine Mansouri. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Progress on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Essential 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶3.  (C) Responding to Senators' questions on combating 
terrorism, bettering the U.S. image in the world, and 
following up President Obama,s Cairo speech, Fassi Fihri 
repeatedly raised making progress on the Israeli-Palestinian 
peace process as the key to all those issues.  The U.S. must 
make progress *- even small steps -* toward achieving a 
Palestinian state to preclude terrorists from using a lack of 
peace to justify terrorist acts and as a follow-up to the 
President's Cairo speech.  Fassi Fihri explained that 
progress in this regard would create political goodwill in 
the Arab and Muslim worlds.  He opined that the Secretary's 
statement in late October that the Israeli settlement freeze 
was unprecedented resulted in a negative reaction concerning 
the U.S. position on the Israeli-Palestinian issue in the 
Arab world.  As Commander of the Faithful and Chairman of the 
Organization of the Islamic Conference,s Al-Quds (Jerusalem) 
Committee, King Mohammed VI considers free access to East 
Jerusalem indispensable; therefore, stopping Israeli 
settlement building in the city is a crucial step that the 
U.S. must work with Israel to achieve.  The U.S. ought to 
endeavor to demonstrate to the Palestinians that living under 
Abbas is better than under Hamas, Fassi Fihri continued, and 
take steps to give people hope for peace.  Since Senator 
Mitchell was appointed, "the U.S. voice on the peace process 
has been growing quieter," he observed.  Without reversing 
this situation and making progress, terrorists would continue 
to exploit the situation in the Palestinian territories, he 
stressed. 
 
-------------------- 
Countering Extremism 
-------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) In addition to taking steps forward on the 
Israeli-Palestinian issue, Fassi Fihri listed pushing 
interfaith dialogue, moving forward on economic development, 
and countering the perception that the U.S. is anti-Muslim as 
means of countering extremism.  He emphasized cooperation 
between Morocco and the U.S. in this regard; "people need to 
see the U.S. and Morocco working together ... civil society 
to civil society, parliament to parliament, government to 
government."  Important expectations were created by the 
President's Cairo speech, and the administration must 
demonstrate that it will do what it has promised, he said. 
 
¶5.  (C) In response to a question about how to moderate 
potential extremists, Mansouri discussed "two extremist 
ideologies."  The first of what he called the "depraved" 
ideologies was Takfiri doctrine, in which people believe an 
injustice has been done and the only means of rectifying it 
is through terrorist acts.  The second "depraved" ideology 
was martyrdom, in which extremists believe that an injustice 
can only be brought to light through suicide bombing.  He 
posited that the U.S. must fight these ideologies on the 
political front.  "We cannot solve injustices with politics, 
 
but political efforts can give hope for future improvement; 
we must give youth a positive model for change." 
 
¶6.  (C) Turning towards how to combat these ideologies, 
Mansouri suggested that Morocco could serve as a model of 
tolerant Islam.  Through Morocco's history of Muslims living 
alongside Jews, Morocco can confront "fallacious ideas" and 
face "depraved" ideologies such as Wahhabism.  Contrary to 
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which "are not models of 
tolerant Islam," Morocco is "fortunate" and uniquely-placed 
to serve as this model. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Together, Fassi Fihri and Mansouri are the real 
co-architects of Morocco's foreign policy, and their 
thoughtful comments on the MEPP and countering extremism 
closely reflect the role Morocco seeks to play in the region. 
 Although their comments regarding U.S. policies -- 
especially on the MEPP -- may have sounded critical, they 
were clearly intended to be constructive, and the Moroccans 
remain among the staunchest supporters of Senator Mitchell's 
efforts.  End Comment. 
 
¶8.  (U) CODEL Gregg cleared this message. 
 
 
***************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco 
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KAPLAN