Morocco's Anti-Terrorism Efforts Dismantle al-Qaeda Cell and Earn US Praise

WASHINGTON, May 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Morocco's anti-terrorism
campaign continued to yield tangible results with last week's arrest of a
group of suspected al-Qaeda extremists planning attacks in North Africa and
Europe. Morocco's international partners, including the United States,
praised Morocco's efforts as a model for combating terrorism in the region and
around the world.

On May 19, Moroccan authorities arrested the 11 suspected terrorists in Nador
and Fez, who reportedly were planning attacks on tourist destinations and
government facilities in Belgium as well as targets in Morocco. These arrests
resulted from the on-going intelligence sharing and cooperation between
Morocco, Spain, Belgium, and others to stop the spread of regional terrorist
threats, most recent by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Last month, the U.S. State Department Office of the Coordinator for
Counterterrorism praised Morocco's efforts in its annual report to the U.S.
Congress, Country Reports on Terrorism 2007. According to the report,

"Morocco's comprehensive counterterrorism strategy not only emphasized
identifying and neutralizing existing terrorist threats through traditional
law enforcement and security measures, but also engaged in preventative
measures to discourage terrorist recruitment through political reform and
policy measures. King Mohamed VI led this effort by unambiguously condemning
terrorism and those who espouse or conduct terrorism; he recently called
terrorism something "alien to Islam and contrary to religion and law."

The report highlighted the "valuable relationship based on cooperation and an
ongoing exchange of information", between Morocco and the United States, which
has allowed Moroccan authorities to continue to "disrupt plots to attack
Moroccan, U.S., and other Western-affiliated targets, and [to] aggressively
investigate numerous individuals associated with international terrorist
groups."

Also, last week, Morocco joined the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI),
the U.S.-led international effort to combat the transfer and production of
nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. The United States welcomed
Morocco's endorsement of the initiative and cited it as "another example of
the close cooperation between the United States and Morocco to combat the
greatest threats of our time: global terrorism and the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction."

"Morocco and the United States have worked side by side for many decades on
critical issues including the fight against terrorism," said Robert Holley,
Executive Director of the Moroccan American Center for Policy. "The continued
cooperation among Morocco and its international partners to combat the growing
terrorist threats increases the real possibility for greater political
stability and economic prosperity in the entire region."

The Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP) is a non-profit organization
whose principal mission is to inform opinion makers, government officials and
an interested public in the United States about political and social
developments in Morocco and the role being played by the Kingdom of Morocco in
broader strategic developments in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the
Middle East.

For more information, please visit www.moroccanamericanpolicy.org

This material is distributed by DJE, Inc. and the Moroccan-American Center for
Policy on behalf of the Government of Morocco. Additional information is
available at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.

SOURCE Moroccan American Center for Policy

Calvin Dark of the Moroccan American Center for Policy, +1-202-587-0855,
cdark@moroccanamericancenter.com