Étiquette : USA

  • Équipe de Washington – Bilan – Mars 2012

    Équipe de Washington – Bilan – Mars 2012

    Tags : Maroc, USA, Lobbying, Sahara Occidental, Front Polisario, Terrorisme, Sahel,

    Introduction

    Dans l’atmosphère hautement politisée à Washington en cette année d’élections présidentielles américaines, la politique étrangère américaine reçoit peu d’attention, sauf en cas de crise. Dans le passé, les présidents américains pouvaient compter sur « battre le drapeau », faisant appel au patriotisme américain comme moyen de renforcer le soutien aux politiques. Aujourd’hui, chaque mot ou action est placé sous une loupe pour déterminer ou déduire des significations cachées qui révèlent la faiblesse des politiques proposées. Ainsi, très peu de mouvements à Washington concernant la politique qui n’est pas liée à des problèmes et des défis qui ne peuvent être retardés.

    Ce milieu difficile rend encore plus décourageants les efforts de l’équipe de Washington pour amener l’administration Obama à approuver le financement américain de projets au Sahara occidental. Pourtant, les résultats à ce jour sont largement positifs. Malgré la couverture médiatique négative de l’affaire Amina Filali et les visites régulières d’Aminatou Haidar à New York et à Washington pour dénoncer le bilan du Maroc en matière de droits humains, le Maroc continue de recevoir un accueil positif au Congrès. La volonté de l’équipe de Washington d’avoir plus de 300 réunions avec les bureaux du Congrès avant les vacances d’été fait de grands progrès. Le message clé, à savoir que l’aide étrangère américaine aux camps doit être accordée à condition qu’elle améliore directement la vie des réfugiés, est bien reçu.

    Il y a un dilemme dans les activités de l’équipe de Washington dans la mesure où le Maroc n’est pas en crise, par conséquent, certains décideurs politiques préféreraient laisser les problèmes du Royaume hors de l’ordre du jour tandis que l’administration s’occupe de la Syrie, de l’Iran, de l’Irak et des crises au-delà de la région MENA. Mettre fin au conflit du Sahara occidental, bien qu’il s’agisse d’un résultat utile pour les intérêts américains dans la région, n’est pas considéré comme une priorité par certains membres du gouvernement. Il était donc utile que les remarques qui ont suivi la rencontre entre le ministre des Affaires étrangères et la secrétaire d’État Clinton aient réaffirmé la centralité du conflit du Sahara occidental et l’engagement envers le dialogue stratégique bilatéral. Cette visite, et la visite de la Secrétaire Clinton au Maroc, et les éloges généralement élevés que le Maroc reçoit pour son rôle au Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, continuent de démontrer que le Maroc est un leader dans la région,

    Le rapport sur les communications ci-dessous indique que la couverture positive du Maroc l’emporte de loin sur la couverture négative associée à Amina Filali et Aminatou Haidar. Les préoccupations sécuritaires liées à la région, le leadership du Maroc au Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, les préoccupations persistantes quant à la direction des soulèvements arabes et les éditoriaux qui montrent comment le Maroc progresse dans ses réformes et son développement économique, contribuent tous à l’image positive du Maroc dans les média.

    Ce rapport n’est ni exhaustif ni entièrement détaillé car nous nous concentrons sur les éléments qui ont le plus d’impact sur notre stratégie. Puisqu’il est difficile de distinguer une partie du travail du Centre Marocain Américain de celui de l’Ambassade, ce rapport inclut certaines activités de l’Ambassade, du MAC et de ses consultants en tant que « Washington Team ».

    OU:

    Ce rapport est préparé par le Centre Marocain Américain, incluant le MACP, le MACC et le MATIC. Il n’est ni exhaustif ni entièrement détaillé car nous nous concentrons sur les éléments qui ont le plus d’impact sur notre stratégie. Bien que nous essayions de ne mettre en évidence que le travail dans lequel MAC a été impliqué, dans certains cas, nous abordons le travail d’autres personnes, telles que l’ambassade ou d’autres entités pro-marocaines. Dans de tels cas connexes, nous essayons de ne rendre compte que des activités où MAC a également joué un rôle, ou lorsque l’activité mérite d’être soulignée à l’équipe de Rabat car elle se rapporte à l’un des principaux objectifs de l’équipe. Dans tous les cas, nous essayons autant que possible de garder ce reporting au travail principal de MAC.

    Campagnes

    MoroccoOnTheMove.com (MOTM)

    Le site Web MOTM de l’équipe de Washington et le programme de médias sociaux (@MorocOnTheMove) continuent d’élargir la portée de nos messages, en termes de quantité et d’audiences ciblées. Après cinq mois en ligne, près de 250 publications d’articles de presse et de contenu original par l’équipe de Washington sont apparues et le site Web a reçu plus de 24 000 visites. Au cours de la même période, @MorocOnTheMove a envoyé près de 900 tweets, compte près de 250 followers et a été retweeté régulièrement par des personnalités influentes sur Twitter. Bien que nous devions encore améliorer ces chiffres dans les mois à venir, c’est un bon début pour nos efforts sur les médias sociaux.

    Dans le cadre d’efforts croissants pour dialoguer plus régulièrement avec nos publics cibles, en particulier par e-mail et sur les réseaux sociaux, l’équipe de Washington a distribué une lettre électronique, « Réforme, stabilité et Sahara occidental » à notre base de données de contacts d’environ 3 000 décideurs politiques, médias , des universitaires, des dirigeants de groupes de réflexion et d’ONG, des responsables de l’administration et du personnel du Congrès. Cette lettre électronique a mis en évidence et redistribué les éléments mentionnés dans le rapport sur les communications, notamment le rapport ICTS, l’article du magazine Atlantic, l’article publié par le Carnegie Endowment, la colonne Roll Call, les remarques du Congressional Record, The Hill op-ed, le Washington Post Chronique « Right Turn », la chronique POMED, ​​et presse positive sur le lancement du RAMED, le programme de santé à grande échelle du Maroc visant à fournir des soins aux citoyens défavorisés.

    De plus, en mars, l’équipe de Washington a commencé à distribuer un e-mail hebdomadaire « Morocco Highlight e-mail » à notre base de données de contacts, dans lequel un ou deux événements, publications et/ou articles de presse positifs sont présentés. Le but de ce point culminant hebdomadaire est d’attirer l’attention sur une importante opportunité de messagerie pour les contacts sur le Maroc. Le premier « e-mail sur le Maroc » a redistribué l’éditorial du Global Post du 27 mars.

    Le Maroc en tant que leader


    Au cours du mois de mars, l’équipe de Washington a poursuivi ses efforts pour promouvoir le Maroc en tant que modèle de progrès et de réforme en informant et en engageant régulièrement des décideurs politiques influents, des dirigeants de groupes de réflexion et des journalistes ciblés.

    Activités:

    Le 8 mars, le magazine The Atlantic , une publication très respectée sur la culture, l’actualité et la politique depuis plus de 150 ans, a publié un article, « La crise d’identité arabe à venir », de Massoud Hayoun qui se concentre sur les questions d’identité arabe. qui ont refait surface lors du printemps arabe. L’équipe de Washington a organisé une interview pour son auteur avec l’ambassadeur Edward Gabriel, qui est cité parmi d’autres dirigeants influents de la diaspora arabe. Pour une diffusion ultérieure, une colonne de blog mettant en avant l’article a été publiée sur « Qui est qui dans le monde arabe ? Examen de l’identité arabe », sur le blog de politique étrangère de la Foreign Policy Association .

    Le 13 mars, Elliott Abrams, chercheur principal pour les études sur le Moyen-Orient au Council on Foreign Relations, a organisé une table ronde dans les bureaux du Council à Washington avec l’ambassadeur Bouhlal intitulée « Le Maroc et le printemps arabe ». Lors de l’événement, qui a été organisé grâce à la sensibilisation de l’équipe de Washington à Abrams et au CFR, l’ambassadeur Bouhlal a détaillé le processus de réforme du Maroc et répondu aux questions sur la mise en œuvre de la nouvelle Constitution.

    Début mars, le POMED Wire , un blog du Project on Middle East Democracy, a publié un rapport citant des allégations douteuses de torture contre le Maroc faites sur le site Internet du Sahara Press Service (SPS). L’équipe de Washington a contacté le directeur exécutif de POMED, ​​l’a alerté sur la nature douteuse de nombreuses publications de SPS, ce qui l’a incité à informer ses blogueurs de garder à l’esprit la nature non professionnelle de SPS avant de republier ou de se procurer son travail. À la suite de la conversation, POMED a accepté de publier un article sur le fil POMED rédigé par l’ambassadeur Edward Gabriel, « Gabriel : changement, réforme et progrès au Maroc », qui décrivait l’année de la réforme au Maroc et comment son expérience du « printemps arabe » a été réussi et exceptionnel.

    Le 23 mars, le Foreign Policy Blog de la Foreign Policy Association a publié une chronique de l’avocate internationale maroco-américaine, Leila Hanafi, « Réformes constitutionnelles au Maroc : perspectives pour les droits des jeunes ». L’article examine le succès du processus de réforme en cours au Maroc et les mesures qui seront nécessaires pour assurer que le succès soit durable et de grande envergure. Sachant que le contenu des articles de Mme Hanafi peut être quelque peu douteux, lorsqu’elle a demandé à l’équipe de Washington des commentaires, nous avons examiné le projet à sa demande afin d’atténuer les conséquences négatives.

    Résultats:

    En mars, les efforts de l’équipe de Washington pour mettre en évidence le rôle du Maroc en tant que leader des réformes démocratiques et de la paix dans la région ont généré plus de 320 placements médiatiques positifs et 20 millions d’impressions médiatiques favorables.

    Le Polisario et le terrorisme au Sahara/Sahel

    En mars, l’équipe de Washington a poursuivi ses efforts pour attirer l’attention des États-Unis sur la menace croissante d’AQMI et d’autres groupes terroristes au Sahara/Sahel afin d’orienter le débat et de renforcer les perceptions du rôle négatif du Polisario dans la région. Ces efforts comprenaient la sensibilisation des journalistes, l’organisation de séances d’information par les membres de l’équipe de Washington et des porte-parole tiers, et la création de fiches d’information et d’autres documents justificatifs à distribuer aux publics cibles.

    Activités:

    Suite à la publication le 2 mars par The Hill d’un éditorial de l’ambassadeur Edward Gabriel, « Arrêtez de subventionner les terrains de recrutement pour les terroristes et les trafiquants », plusieurs autres médias ont republié ou cité l’article, dont le réseau World247.net News et le UK Foreign Bureau/gouvernement britannique en ligne . En outre, le journal en ligne italien Lettera 43 a publié un article sur le terrorisme au Sahel qui citait des rapports et des cartes de l’ICTS.

    Pour maintenir l’attention des médias américains sur le maintien en détention des travailleurs humanitaires européens enlevés par des membres d’un groupe lié à AQMI avec l’aide présumée de membres du Front Polisario, l’équipe de Washington a publié un article de blog sur le site Web du MOTM le 20 mars, « Day 150 – toujours en otage : Rosella Urru, deux autres capturés par la secte AQMI dans le camp Polisario. Cette publication fera partie d’une série régulière de mises à jour sur l’enlèvement à mesure que la situation évolue.

    Le 27 mars, le Global Post a publié un éditorial de Jordan Paul, « Pourquoi perpétuons-nous une source d’instabilité en Afrique du Nord ? L’éditorial a plaidé en faveur d’un reciblage de l’aide non humanitaire destinée au Polisario pour qu’il cesse de perpétuer la détérioration des conditions sécuritaires et humanitaires des camps de réfugiés et a exhorté les dirigeants américains à résoudre le conflit du Sahara occidental.

    Fin mars, l’équipe de Washington a compilé un article, « Spotlight : The case for redirection US support for the Polisario-run camps in Algeria, who are going to a recruter field for AQMI, arms and drug trafiquants ». Le document fournit des informations générales et une chronologie des incidents documentés et des rapports liant les membres du Front Polisario à AQMI, au trafic et à d’autres activités illicites dans la région. Il sera largement distribué en avril aux principaux contacts du Congrès, des médias et des groupes de réflexion.

    Résultats:

    En mars, les efforts de l’équipe de Washington pour mettre en évidence l’implication du Polisario dans la montée du terrorisme dans la région ont généré plus de 200 placements médiatiques favorables et 21 millions d’impressions médiatiques.

    Résoudre le Sahara Occidental : Autonomie sous souveraineté marocaine

    Avant et après le neuvième cycle de pourparlers informels sur le conflit du Sahara occidental, l’équipe de Washington a mené des activités de sensibilisation auprès des journalistes, des décideurs politiques et des représentants du gouvernement pour souligner le besoin urgent de résoudre le conflit pour des raisons de sécurité ainsi que pour des raisons humanitaires et pour promouvoir le compromis du Maroc. proposition d’autonomie.

    Activités:

    Afin d’attirer l’attention des médias américains sur les pourparlers informels et les efforts du Maroc pour offrir un véritable compromis dans les négociations, l’équipe de Washington a publié un communiqué de presse le 12 mars : « Les États-Unis et la France expriment leur ferme soutien au plan d’autonomie du Maroc pour résoudre le conflit du Sahara occidental, supprimer les obstacles à la paix dans la région. Le communiqué, qui soulignait les récentes déclarations publiques de soutien au plan d’autonomie de la secrétaire d’État américaine Clinton et du ministre français des Affaires étrangères Juppé, a été distribué à PRNewswire et ciblait les journalistes. Il a été publié par plus de 150 médias américains et internationaux, dont Reuters , Market Watch du Wall Street Journal , Forbes , Boston Globe , Dallas Morning News ,Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sacramento Bee, Yahoo News, AOL News, AfricaBusiness, and Afrik-News. MAP published an article, “Les 9è pourparlers sur le Sahara se tiennent avec en toile de fond un soutien consolidé de Washington au Plan d’autonomie,” that referenced the release and the ICTS report, which was republished by L’Opinion, Le Matin, and several other Moroccan news publications.

    Suite à des briefings et des mises à jour réguliers par l’équipe, deux membres du Congrès ont également fait des déclarations publiques fortes de soutien au plan d’autonomie du Maroc en tant que solution de compromis pacifique au conflit du Sahara occidental. Dans un article d’opinion publié le 12 mars dans Roll Call, « Les changements offrent un signe positif pour le Sahara Occidental », le représentant Steve Cohen du Tennessee a expliqué pourquoi la proposition d’autonomie était la meilleure option pour la paix. Dans des remarques pour le Congressional Record, le représentant Chris Murphy du Connecticut a déclaré que le peuple du Sahara occidental « mérite que ce différend de longue date soit résolu » et a déclaré que la proposition de compromis du Maroc est « une offre raisonnable et peut servir de base aux négociations. » Murphy a reconnu, « il est dans l’intérêt des États-Unis et des parties concernées de parvenir à une solution pacifique et négociée à la question du Sahara Occidental[.] » MAPa publié des articles sur les déclarations des deux membres, « Le membre du Congrès américain souligne le soutien bipartisan écrasant au plan d’autonomie du Maroc au sein des deux chambres du Congrès américain » et « La proposition marocaine d’autonomie, une solution démocratique qui peut servir de base aux négociations, US Cong ».

    Le 13 mars, le Carnegie Endowment for International Peace a publié un article du professeur Anouar Boukhars, « Simmering discontent in the Western Sahara », dans lequel Boukhars a examiné un certain nombre de facteurs internes et externes qui affectent la résolution du conflit du Sahara occidental. Le document – qui citait plusieurs sources d’information que l’équipe de Washington a aidé à générer – a été largement distribué aux contacts clés et aux journalistes ciblés et intégré à notre dossier d’information régulier sur le Sahara occidental.

    Afin de souligner l’urgente nécessité de répondre à la crise humanitaire dans les camps contrôlés par le Polisario dans le sud de l’Algérie par la mise en œuvre de solutions durables pour les réfugiés, Robert Holley est l’auteur d’un blog posté sur le site Web du MOTM, « Vous n’avez pas à vivre comme un réfugié », qui est un jeu de mots de la chanson de Tom Petty portant le même titre.

    Résultats:

    En mars, les efforts de l’équipe de Washington pour souligner auprès du public américain le large soutien au plan d’autonomie du Maroc et la nécessité d’un leadership américain pour aider à résoudre le problème du Sahara occidental ont généré plus de 650 placements médiatiques favorables et 57 millions d’impressions médiatiques.

    A venir en avril

    Le 3 avril, l’équipe de Washington organisera une table ronde, « La crise du Sahara occidental : pourquoi le leadership américain est nécessaire maintenant », où un panel d’experts offrira un aperçu de la crise au Sahara occidental, la menace croissante du terrorisme dans la région, la détérioration de la situation humanitaire et comment les dirigeants américains peuvent aider à mettre fin pacifiquement à ce conflit. La table ronde mettra en vedette Jean AbiNader, conseiller principal, Moroccan American Center (modérateur), l’ambassadeur Michael Ussery, ancien ambassadeur des États-Unis au Maroc, le Dr J. Peter Pham, directeur, Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, The Atlantic Council, et Robert Holley, Conseiller politique principal, Centre marocain américain de politique. Pour encourager la participation et la couverture de la table ronde, l’équipe de Washington a largement distribué un avis de presse aux journalistes ciblés, ainsi qu’une invitation à tous les principaux décideurs politiques et responsables du gouvernement américain qui se concentrent sur le Maroc. L’avis a été repris et publié par plus de 120 médias américains et internationaux, y comprisReuters , Market Watch du Wall Street Journal , CNBC , CNN Top News , Boston Globe , African Press Organization , Sacramento Bee , Yahoo News , AOL News et Afrik-News.

    Activités du Congrès

    L’équipe de Washington a organisé plus de 90 réunions avec les bureaux du Congrès au cours du seul mois de mars , qui se sont concentrées sur nos thèmes principaux : le Maroc en tant que leader, la menace croissante du terrorisme dans la région et les dangers des camps du Polisario, la nécessité de cibler l’aide sur les camps , et la nécessité de résoudre la question du Sahara occidental sur la base de l’autonomie sous souveraineté marocaine.

    Ces réunions servent à maintenir notre soutien majoritaire au Congrès, à garantir que la vérité soit connue sur le Polisario, à renforcer le soutien pour cibler l’aide aux camps et à créer une plus grande prise de conscience de l’importance d’une relation bilatérale solide entre les États-Unis et le Maroc. Ces réunions constituent la base que nous construisons chaque année car nous ne prenons jamais pour acquis nos partisans actuels et cherchons toujours à obtenir le soutien de membres supplémentaires. L’équipe de Washington a suivi ces réunions avec une série d’e-mails contenant des mises à jour, des nouvelles récentes, des publications afin de renforcer nos messages fournis à chaque réunion. Ce dernier prépare également le terrain pour nos prochaines rencontres afin que les membres soient au courant des enjeux à discuter bien à l’avance.

    L’ambassadeur a poursuivi ses réunions d’introduction avec les principaux membres du Congrès. En avril, il a été invité à déjeuner dans la salle à manger des membres du Congrès où il a rencontré le représentant Steve Cohen (qui a écrit l’éditorial plus tôt dans le mois), le représentant Ed Towns, le représentant Ed Markey, le représentant Sheila Jackson. -Lee, et le représentant David Dreier. L’ambassadeur a également rencontré le co-président du caucus du Maroc, le représentant Michael Grimm. Ces rencontres d’initiation se poursuivront tout au long de l’année.

    L’équipe de Washington a également produit des déclarations importantes concernant le dernier cycle informel de négociations. Le représentant Chris Murphy (D-CT) a fait une déclaration en faveur du Maroc à la veille des pourparlers de Manhasset et le représentant Steve Cohen (D-TN) a publié un éditorial très favorable le lundi des pourparlers. Ces déclarations et éditoriaux de membres démocrates de gauche contribuent à renforcer le concept selon lequel la solution autonomie/souveraineté bénéficie d’un large soutien et est la solution inévitable. Plus ce message s’imposera, plus il sera facile d’obtenir le soutien du Congrès pour établir les faits sur le terrain (en s’appuyant sur le langage de l’année dernière) et conditionner l’aide aux camps.

    L’équipe de Washington a également travaillé avec le bureau du représentant Mario Diaz-Balart pour poser des questions à l’administration lors des audiences de surveillance avec la secrétaire Clinton sur la manière dont ils prévoyaient de mettre en œuvre le libellé autorisant l’aide américaine au Maroc à être dépensée dans les provinces du sud. Cela aide à garder la question devant le Département d’État et leur fait prendre conscience que le Congrès a l’intention de voir l’action cette année. L’équipe de Washington travaille également avec le Comité des crédits pour développer un langage et un soutien sécurisé pour cibler l’aide aux camps de réfugiés loin du statu quo et vers des solutions durables, y compris un recensement et une réinstallation.

    MATIC

    MATIC a travaillé avec la Chambre de commerce américaine pour mettre en place sa première délégation commerciale au Maroc du 20 au 22 mars, qui comprenait de grandes entreprises telles que Raytheon, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics et autres, ainsi que six entreprises axées sur les énergies renouvelables. . L’Ambassade du Maroc a organisé la participation d’un certain nombre de hauts responsables gouvernementaux pour assister à des événements et à des déjeuners et dîners organisés par AMDI et Maroc Export. MATIC a organisé un déjeuner pour la délégation le 21 mars et a travaillé avec ADEREE, MASEN et ONE sur un panel sur les énergies renouvelables. L’ambassadeur Kaplan et des membres de l’ambassade des États-Unis ont assisté au déjeuner.

    La nouvelle la plus importante du mois a été l’annonce par le China Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund) qu’il avait choisi le Maroc pour son bureau régional pour l’Afrique du Nord, de l’Ouest et du Centre. MATIC a accompagné trois délégations différentes du CAD Fund au Maroc et les a aidées à étudier les sites possibles de bureaux et d’appartements. Le MATIC a participé avec eux à l’organisation de réunions et à la fourniture d’un soutien logistique, ainsi qu’à la coordination avec les responsables du GOM. MATIC a été la première parmi plusieurs entités marocaines à entrer en contact avec le Fonds CAD.

    MATIC a également organisé la dernière d’une série de réunions pour MANAS Development Group http://www.manasdevelopment.org/ une société internationale qui fournit des services de formation aux agences et aux entreprises, ce qui les a amenés à choisir le Maroc comme siège du bureau régional. desservant l’Afrique du Nord, de l’Ouest et du Centre.

    MACC

    Tout au long du mois de mars, le personnel du MACC a participé à un certain nombre d’événements sur le Maghreb et le Moyen-Orient, notamment un forum des ambassadeurs organisé par la Chambre de commerce américano-arabe, une table ronde sur la démocratie dans le monde arabe tenue au National Press Club, et une conférence sur l’accès à la justice organisée par l’American Bar Association.

    Ambassadeur Edward Gabriel

    Rabat-Team-March-2012-report-EnglishTélécharger le document



    #Maroc #USA #Lobbying #Sahara_Occidental #Front_Police #Edward_Gabriel

  • Morocco promotes his Investment Agency -AMDI- in USA

    Tags : Morocco, USA, Edward Gabriel, Ghita Filali, Lobbying, AMDI,

    In order to promote the Moroccan Agency for Development and Investment (AMDI), Ghita Filali, head of the Agency in the United States, went to Washington « to introduce AMDI mission and objectives and lay out basis for future collaboration ».

    From: Ghita FILALI [mailto:GFilali@invest.gov.ma]
    Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 1:40 PM
    To: Edward Gabriel
    Cc: Jean AbiNader; Fatima Kurtz
    Subject: Follow up from AMDI

    M. Ambassador,

    Thank you for meeting me a few weeks ago in Washington DC to introduce AMDI mission and objectives and lay out basis for future collaboration.

    I’ve had successful meetings in DC thanks to the involvement of the Moroccan American Center team, and I would like to specially thank Jean and Kristin who have been amazing at putting together the program for me.

    I was pleased to hear that all the institutions I met are keen to support AMDI mission.

    I have since connected with Ambassador Bouhlal during his last visit to NY and explained to him our mandate as well the objectives of AMDI.

    He assured me of the full support of the Embassy to work closely with our agency to promote the Invest in Morocco offer.

    We will begin collaborating very soon with his team in view of the upcoming AMDI event in the US, currently scheduled in May.

    Thank you again,

    Ghita Filali

    #Morocco #AMDI #Ghita_Filali #Edward_Gabriel #USA #Lobbying

  • Washington team March 2012 progress report

    Washington team March 2012 progress report

    Tags : Morocco, USA, Lobbying, Western Sahara, Frente Polisario, Terrorism, Sahel,

    Introduction

    In the highly politicized atmosphere in Washington during this US presidential election year, US foreign policy receives little attention except when crises occur. In times past, US presidents could count on “flying the flag,” appealing to American patriotism as a means of building support for policies. Today, every word or action is placed under a magnifying glass to determine or infer hidden meanings that reveal the weakness of the proposed policies. Thus, very little moves in Washington regarding policy that is not related to problems and challenges that cannot be delayed.

    This challenging milieu makes the efforts of the Washington Team to move the Obama Administration to approve US funding for projects in the Western Sahara even more daunting. Yet the results to date are largely positive. Despite the negative media coverage of the Amina Filali case and Aminatou Haidar’s regular visits to New York and Washington to speak against Morocco’s human rights record, Morocco continues to find a positive reception in Congress. The Washington Team’s drive to have more than 300 meetings with Congressional offices before the summer recess is making great progress. The key message, that US foreign assistance to the camps should be given on condition that it directly improves the lives of the refugees, is being well received. The Team is also working with members and staff to define what these “conditions” should be and concrete projects that the US should fund in the South.

    There is a dilemma in the Washington Team’s activities in that Morocco is not in crisis, therefore, some policy makers would prefer to leave the Kingdom’s issues off the agenda while the Administration deals with Syria, Iran, Iraq, and crises beyond the MENA region. Ending the Western Sahara conflict, while a helpful outcome to US interests in the region, is not given a high priority by some in the government. It was therefore helpful that the remarks following the meeting between the Foreign Minister and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the centrality of the Western Sahara conflict and the commitment to the bilateral strategic dialogue. This visit, and Secretary Clinton’s visit to Morocco, and the generally high praise that Morocco is receiving for its role on the UN Security Council, continue to make the case that Morocco is a leader in the region, and among America’s friends worldwide.

    The Communications report below indicates that positive coverage of Morocco far outweighs negative coverage associated with Amina Filali and Aminatou Haidar. Security concerns related to the region, Morocco’s leadership at the UNSC, continued concerns with the direction of the Arab uprisings, and op-eds that show how Morocco is making progress in its reforms and economic development, all contribute to the positive image of Morocco in the media.

    This report is not exhaustive nor is it fully detailed as we focus on the items that have the most impact on our strategy. Since it is difficult to distinguish some of the work of the Moroccan American Center from that of the Embassy, this report includes select activities of the Embassy, MAC, and its consultants as the “Washington Team”.

    OR:

    This report is prepared by the Moroccan American Center, including MACP, MACC and MATIC.  It is not exhaustive nor is it fully detailed as we focus on the items that have the most impact on our strategy. While we attempt to only highlight work that MAC has been involved in, in some cases we touch upon the work of others, such as the Embassy or other pro-Moroccan entities. In such related cases, we try to only report on activities where MAC has had a role as well, or where the activity is worthy of highlighting to the Rabat team since it relates to one of the Team’s main objectives.  In all cases we try as much as possible to keep this reporting to the principal work of MAC. 

    Campaigns

    MoroccoOnTheMove.com (MOTM)

    The Washington Team’s MOTM website and social media program (@MorocOnTheMove) continues to broaden the reach for our messaging, in terms of quantity and targeted audiences. After five months online, nearly 250 postings of news articles and original content by the Washington Team have appeared and the website has received more than 24,000 hits. In that same period, @MorocOnTheMove has sent nearly 900 tweets, has close to 250 followers, and has been retweeted regularly by influential personalities on Twitter. Although we have to improve these numbers even more in the months ahead, this is a strong beginning to our social media efforts.

    As part of increasing efforts to engage more regularly with our target audiences, particularly through email and social media, the Washington Team distributed an e-letter, “Reform, stability, and the Western Sahara” to our contacts database of approximately 3,000 policymakers, media, academics, think-tank and NGO leaders, Administration officials, and Congressional staffs. This e-letter highlighted and redistributed materials mentioned in the Communications report including the ICTS report, the Atlantic magazine article, the paper published by the Carnegie Endowment, the Roll Call column, Congressional Record remarks, The Hill op-ed, , the Washington Post “Right Turn” column, the POMED column, and positive press about the launch of RAMED, Morocco’s large-scale healthcare program aimed at providing care to disadvantaged citizens, as well as specific items Rabat wants us to highlight though its mediatization requests.

    Also, in March, the Washington Team began distribution of a weekly “Morocco highlight e-mail” to our contacts database, in which one or two events, publications, and/or positive press articles are featured. The purpose of this weekly highlight is to draw attention to an important messaging opportunity to the contacts about Morocco. The first “Morocco highlight e-mail” redistributed the March 27 Global Post op-ed.

    Morocco as a Leader

    During the month of March, the Washington Team continued its efforts to promote Morocco as a model of progress and reform by regularly briefing and engaging influential policy makers, think-tank leaders, and target journalists.

    Activities:

    On March 8, The Atlantic magazine, a well-respected publication on culture, current events, and politics for more than 150 years, published an article, “The coming Arab identity crisis,” by Massoud Hayoun which focuses on the questions of Arab identity that have resurfaced during the Arab Spring. The Washington Team arranged an interview for its author with Ambassador Edward Gabriel, who is quoted among other influential leaders in the Arab Diaspora. For further distribution, a blog column highlighting the article was posted on “Who’s who in the Arab world? Examining Arab identity,” on the Foreign Policy Association’s Foreign Policy Blog.

    On March 13, Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, hosted a roundtable at the Council’s offices in Washington with Ambassador Bouhlal entitled, “Morocco and the Arab Spring.” At the event, which was organized through the Washington Team’s outreach to Abrams and CFR, Ambassador Bouhlal detailed Morocco’s reform process and answered questions about the implementation of the new Constitution.

    In early March, the POMED Wire, a blog of the Project on Middle East Democracy, posted a report citing dubious torture allegations against Morocco made on the Sahara Press Service (SPS) website. The Washington Team contacted POMED’s executive director, alerted him to the questionable nature of many SPS publications, which prompted him to inform his bloggers to keep the unprofessional nature of SPS in mind before republishing or sourcing its work. Following the conversation, POMED agreed to post a piece on the POMED Wire authored by Ambassador Edward Gabriel, “Gabriel: Change, reform, and progress in Morocco,” which outlined the year of reform in Morocco and how its “Arab Spring” experience was successful and exceptional.

    On March 23, the Foreign Policy Association’s Foreign Policy Blog published a column by Moroccan-American international attorney, Leila Hanafi, “Constitutional reforms in Morocco: Outlook for youth rights.” The article examined the success of the current reform process in Morocco and what measures will be necessary to insure that success is sustained and far-reaching. Knowing that Ms. Hanafi’s articles can be somewhat dubious in content, when she asked the Washington Team for feedback we reviewed the draft at her request in order to ameliorate any adverse consequences.

    Results:

    In March, the Washington Team’s efforts to highlight Morocco’s role as a leader for democratic reforms and peace in the region generated more than 320 positive media placements and 20 million favorable media impressions.

    The Polisario and Terrorism in the Sahara/Sahel

    During March, the Washington Team continued its efforts to call US attention to the growing threat of AQIM and other terrorist groups in the Sahara/Sahel in order to shape the debate and reinforce perceptions of the Polisario’s negative role in the region. These efforts included journalist outreach, arranging briefings by Washington Team members and third-party spokespeople, and creating fact sheets and other supporting documents for distribution to target audiences.

    Activities:

    Following the March 2 publication by The Hill of an op-ed by Ambassador Edward Gabriel, « Stop subsidizing recruiting grounds for terrorists and traffickers, » several other media outlets republished or cited the piece, including the World247.net News network and the U.K. Foreign Office/U.K. Government Online. Also, the Italian-based online newspaper, Lettera 43, published an article about terrorism in the Sahel that cited ICTS reports and maps.

    To maintain US media attention on the continued detention of the European aid workers kidnapped by members of an AQIM-related group with suspected help from members of the Polisario Front, the Washington Team authored a blog posting on the MOTM website on March 20, “Day 150 – still hostage: Rosella Urru, two others seized by AQIM sect in Polisario camp.” This posting will be a part of a regular series of updates on the kidnapping as the situation develops.

    On March 27, the Global Post published an op-ed by Jordan Paul, “Why are we perpetuating a source of instability in North Africa?” The op-ed made the case for retargeting non-humanitarian aid destined for the Polisario to stop perpetuating the refugee camps’ deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions and urged US leadership to resolve the Western Sahara conflict.

    In late March, the Washington Team compiled a paper, “Spotlight: The case for redirecting US support for the Polisario-run camps in Algeria, which are becoming a recruiting ground for AQIM, arms and drug traffickers.” The paper provides background information and a chronology of documented incidents and reports linking members of the Polisario Front with AQIM, trafficking, and other illicit activities in the region. It will be widely distributed in April to key contacts in Congress, the media, and think tanks.

    Results:

    In March, the Washington Team’s efforts to highlight the Polisario’s involvement with rising terrorism in the region generated more than 200 favorable media placements and 21 million media impressions.

    Resolving the Western Sahara: Autonomy under Moroccan Sovereignty

    Ahead of and following the ninth round of informal talks on the Western Sahara conflict, the Washington Team conducted outreach to journalists, policymakers, and government officials to highlight the urgent need to solve the conflict for security as well as humanitarian reasons and to promote Morocco’s compromise autonomy proposal.

    Activities:

    To focus US media attention on the informal talks and Morocco’s efforts to offer genuine compromise in the negotiations, the Washington Team issued a press release on March 12, “US, France voice strong support for Morocco’s autonomy plan to resolve Western Sahara dispute, remove obstacle to peace in region.” The release, which highlighted recent public declarations of support for the autonomy plan by US Secretary of State Clinton and French Foreign Minister Juppé, was distributed to PRNewswire and targeted journalists. It was posted by more than 150 US and international media outlets, including Reuters, the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, Forbes, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sacramento Bee, Yahoo News, AOL News, AfricaBusiness, and Afrik-News. MAP published an article, “Les 9è pourparlers sur le Sahara se tiennent avec en toile de fond un soutien consolidé de Washington au Plan d’autonomie,” that referenced the release and the ICTS report, which was republished by L’Opinion, Le Matin, and several other Moroccan news publications.

    Following regular briefings and updates by the Team, two Members of Congress also made strong, public statements of support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as a peaceful, compromise solution to the Western Sahara conflict. In an opinion piece published March 12 in Roll Call, “Changes offer positive sign for Western Sahara”, Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee gave the background on why the autonomy proposal was the best option for peace. In remarks for the Congressional Record, Rep. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the people of the Western Sahara « deserve for this longstanding dispute to be resolved » and stated that Morocco’s compromise proposal is « a reasonable offer and can serve as a basis for negotiations. » Murphy acknowledged, « it is in the interest of the United States and the parties involved to achieve a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Western Sahara issue[.] » MAP ran stories on both Members’ statements, “US Congressman highlights overwhelming bipartisan support for Morocco’s autonomy plan within two chambers of US Congress,” and “Moroccan autonomy proposal, a democratic solution that can serve as a basis for negotiations, US Cong.”

    On March 13, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published a paper by Professor Anouar Boukhars, “Simmering discontent in the Western Sahara,” in which Boukhars examined a number of internal and external factors that affect resolution of the Western Sahara conflict. The paper – which cited several information sources the Washington Team helped generate – was distributed widely to key contacts and targeted journalists and incorporated into our regular information packet on the Western Sahara.

    In order to highlight the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in the Polisario-controlled camps in southern Algeria through implementation of durable solutions for refugees, Robert Holley authored a blog posting on the MOTM website, ”You don’t have to live like a refugee”, which is a play on words from Tom Petty song with the same title.

    Results:

    In March, the Washington Team’s efforts to highlight to US audiences the broad support for Morocco’s autonomy plan and need for US leadership to help resolve the Western Sahara generated more than 650 favorable media placements and 57 million media impressions.

    Upcoming in April

    On April 3, the Washington Team will host a roundtable, “The Western Sahara crisis: Why US leadership is needed now,” where an expert panel will offer insights on the crisis in the Western Sahara, the growing threat of terrorism in the region, the deteriorating humanitarian situation, and how US leadership can help bring this conflict to a peaceful end. The roundtable will feature Jean AbiNader, Senior Advisor, Moroccan American Center (Moderator), Ambassador Michael Ussery, Former US Ambassador to Morocco, Dr J. Peter Pham, Director, Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, The Atlantic Council, and Robert Holley, Senior Policy Advisor, Moroccan American Center for Policy. To encourage attendance and coverage of the roundtable, the Washington Team widely distributed a press advisory to target journalists, as well as an invitation to all major policymakers and US government officials who focus on Morocco. The advisory was picked up and posted by more than 120 US and international media outlets, including Reuters, the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch, CNBC, CNN Top News, Boston Globe, African Press Organization, Sacramento Bee, Yahoo News, AOL News, and Afrik-News.

    Congressional Activities

    The Washington Team conducted over 90 meetings with Congressional offices in March alone, which focused on our core themes: Morocco as a leader, the rising threat of terrorism in the region and the dangers of the Polisario camps, the need to target assistance to the camps, and the need to resolve the issue of the Western Sahara based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

    These meetings serve to maintain our majority support in Congress, to ensure that the truth is known about the Polisario, to build support for targeting assistance to the camps, and to create a greater awareness of the importance of a strong US-Morocco bilateral relationship. These meetings constitute the base we build every year as we never take for granted our current supporters and always seek to secure the support of additional members. The Washington Team followed up on these meetings with a series of emails containing updates, recent news, publications so as reinforce our messaging provided at each meeting. The latter also lay the groundwork for our upcoming meetings so that members are aware of the issues to be discussed well in advance. .

    The Ambassador continued his introductory meetings to key Members of Congress. In April, he was hosted for a lunch in the Congressional Members Dining Room where he met with Rep. Steve Cohen (who wrote the Op-Ed earlier in the month), Rep. Ed Towns, Rep. Ed Markey, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, and Rep. David Dreier. The Ambassador also met the co-Chair of the Morocco Caucus, Rep. Michael Grimm. These introductory meetings will continue throughout the year.

    The Washington Team also produced significant statements around the latest informal round of the negotiations. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) made a statement in support of Morocco on the eve of the Manhasset talks and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) published a very favorable Op-ed on the Monday of the talks. These statements and Op-Eds from leftist, democratic members help to reinforce the concept that the autonomy/sovereignty solution has broad based support and is the inevitable solution. The more that this message takes hold, the easier it will be to secure congressional support for establishing facts on the ground (building on the language from last year) and conditioning aid to the camps.

    The Washington Team also worked with the office of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart to pose questions to the Administration during oversight hearings with Secretary Clinton on how they planned to implement the language authorizing US assistance to Morocco to be spent in the southern provinces. This helps to keep the issue in front of the State Department and makes them aware that Congress is intent on seeing action this year. The Washington Team is also working with the Appropriations Committee to develop language and secure support for targeting assistance to the refugee camps away from the status quo and towards durable solutions, including a census and resettlement.

    MATIC

    MATIC worked with the US Chamber of Commerce in setting up its first business delegation to Morocco March 20-22, which including major corporations such as Raytheon, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and others, as well as six companies focused on renewable energies. The Moroccan Embassy arranged for the participation of a number of senior government officials to attend events and lunches and dinners hosted by AMDI and Maroc Export. MATIC hosted a luncheon for the delegation on March 21 and worked with ADEREE, MASEN, and ONE on a panel on renewable energies. Ambassador Kaplan and members of the US Embassy attended the luncheon.

    The most important news of the month was an announcement by the China Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund) that it had chosen Morocco for its regional office for North, West, and Central Africa. MATIC has escorted three different CAD Fund delegations in Morocco and helped them survey possible office and apartment sites. MATIC was involved with them in setting up meetings for and providing logistical support, as well as coordinated with GOM officials. MATIC was the first among several Moroccan entities to make contact with the CAD Fund.

    MATIC also set up the latest in a series of meetings for MANAS Development Group http://www.manasdevelopment.org/ an international company that provides training services to agencies and companies, which resulted in their choosing Morocco as the location for the regional office serving North, West, and Central Africa.

    MACC

    Throughout the month of March, MACC staff attended a number of events on the Maghreb and the Middle East, including an Ambassadors forum hosted by the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, a roundtable on democracy in the Arab World held at the National Press Club, and a conference on access to justice hosted by the American Bar Association.

    Ambassador Edward Gabriel

    #Morocco #USA #Lobbying #Western_Sahara #Frente_Polisario #Edward_Gabriel

    Rabat-Team-March-2012-report-English-1Download the report
  • Stop the logic of war

    Stop the logic of war

    Ukraine, Russia, China, Taïwan, OTAN, nuclear war, United States, USA, NATO, West,

    On the occasion of September 21, the International Day of Peace, we must recognize that the international situation is currently evolving in an extremely dangerous direction. The world urgently needs disarmament and a de-escalation of the rhetoric of confrontation.

    For the past seven months, Russia’s war in Ukraine has been raging, bringing the country to the brink of destruction. Russia is also indirectly confronting NATO. All this is happening against the backdrop of a potential radioactive disaster at the Zaporizhia power plant, the largest in Europe.

    In April, it was announced that the new AUKUS military alliance – which has included Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. for the past year, with a view to equipping Australia with nuclear submarines – would also develop hypersonic weapons, which will probably be pointed at China.

    In June, the NATO summit in Madrid adopted a new Strategic Concept that stigmatized Russia as « the most important threat…to the Euro-Atlantic area » and China for its « coercive policies that are contrary to our interests, security and values.

    In August, China responded to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan with large-scale live-fire exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan.

    Also in August, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference ended in abject failure, failing to reach consensus on a text that in any case would have done nothing to commit the nuclear-weapon states to a concrete disarmament process they committed to pursue « in good faith » 52 years ago!

    A discourse that masks reality
    According to our leaders, the growing tensions in the world can only be blamed on Russia and China. This discourse is not only simplistic, but hypocritical. For if they claim to be defenders of international law in the case of Ukraine, Western countries have themselves attacked Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. If they are defenders of the right to self-determination in Taiwan, they are not at all in favor of it for Palestine, the Donbass, the Western Sahara, Catalonia, etc. And they are ready to defend democracy and human rights… except in the many authoritarian countries that are their allies.

    Their main principles are only levers of their foreign policy, to be operated when it serves their interests. And the instantaneous information in which we are immersed – which provides neither historical context nor proof of the facts – simply echoes the indignant denunciations of our leaders and thus confirms public opinion in a posture of moral superiority of the West.

    But what is the point of all this theater and what exactly is China being reproached for, since it is above all in the crosshairs of the United States? In the new Strategic Concept adopted by all NATO countries, we read that China « uses a wide range of political, economic and military tools to strengthen its presence in the world and project its power… It seeks to gain control over key technological and industrial sectors…. It uses economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and increase its influence.

    In short, as a major economic power, China is adopting many of the same actions that were previously the sole preserve of the United States. In essence, the threat posed by China is that the United States will no longer be the sole ruler of the world, a prerogative it intends to retain at all costs… even at the cost of putting humanity at risk.

    Imminent nuclear danger
    As early as 1946, Albert Einstein stated: « The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything except our ways of thinking, and we are thus sliding towards an unprecedented catastrophe. » Our leaders, on the other hand, are showing total unconsciousness by pushing us more and more into a logic of confrontation with China and Russia, when a war between nuclear powers should be absolutely unthinkable.

    Not only do they think about it, but they talk about it openly. « For us, it is only a matter of time, » the director of intelligence of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command recently said. On May 23, and again last Sunday, President Biden said the United States would use force to defend Taiwan if China attacked.

    Not only are they thinking about it, they are talking about it openly. « For us, it’s just a matter of time, » the director of intelligence for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command recently said. On May 23, and again last Sunday, President Biden said the United States would use force to defend Taiwan if China attacked.

    Not only are they talking about it openly, they believe they can win such a war! For example, one of the four main priorities of the U.S. Defense Strategy (2022) reads: « Deter aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflicts if necessary, prioritizing the challenge of the People’s Republic of China in the Indo-Pacific, followed by the challenge of Russia in Europe. »

    A warlike escalation
    The war in Ukraine has created millions of new refugees and internally displaced persons. Elsewhere in the world, it has contributed to a significant increase in the rate of inflation, which is hitting the most vulnerable populations particularly hard, and risks leading to a food crisis.

    Moreover, in terms of the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine and the threat of war in Taiwan are leading to significant setbacks: on the one hand, a return to coal in Germany and plans for increased oil and gas development, particularly in Canada and the United States; and, on the other, the suspension of climate change negotiations between China and the United States, the world’s two largest GHG emitters.

    It is not only urgent to decarbonize human activity on the planet, but also to put an end to the logic of war, the bellicose rhetoric under humanitarian pretexts and the astronomical military expenditures that accompany them.

    One of the slogans of the climate justice movement is « Change the system, not the climate ». Let us also reject the logic of war inherent in this system. It is a matter of survival for humanity.

    Le Devoir, 21/09/2022

    #Russia #China #Ukraine #West #Europe #Nuclear_war #NATO

  • Algeria’s Foreign Policy: Facing a Crossroads

    Algeria’s Foreign Policy: Facing a Crossroads

    Algeria, USA, China, Russia, Spain, France, gas,

    by Vasilis Petropoulos

    The ongoing war in Ukraine, with its recrystallization of allegiances, can provide Algeria the opportunity to return from a shift towards Russia and China back to a more balanced relationship with great powers.

    USA: From Strategic Partnership to Irrelevance

    In many ways, Algeria’s most direct foreign relations with the United States and Western European countries are focused squarely on its northern neighbors of Spain and France. Yet as the unmatched superpower of the last three decades, the United States has had some type of impact on almost every country’s foreign policy decisions. Foreign direct investments, military aid, and access to American technology are just some of the tools Washington uses to entice its partners and shape their policies abroad. In many cases, securing such ‘gifts’ has become the driver of many countries’ foreign policy, gradually growing the ‘pro-American’ camp.

    Algeria, though never unequivocally ‘pro-American’ or officially aligned with the West, is no exemption to this rule. After espousing a ‘subjective neutrality’ in the Cold War era—leaning towards the communist bloc while remaining in the non-alignment movement—Algeria followed the tide of the post-Soviet unipolar world and deepened its ties with the West.

    This decision came about less as an ideological shift than due to economic opportunities much needed in the years after the Algerian Civil War (1991-2002). Capitalizing on its geostrategic position, its regional cache as an exemplar of revolutionary struggle against colonial rule, and its considerable military capabilities, Algeria subsequently demonstrated its geostrategic value to Washington. Algiers played a significant role in providing intelligence and assisting in counterterrorism operations targeted against Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and, later, ISIS, thus playing a pivotal part in the ‘war on terror.’

    In return, Algiers received large amounts of financial aid and training from its transatlantic partner and the U.S.-Algerian relationship appeared to be on the ascent. Instead, the neutralization of the Daesh threat in 2017, coupled with Trump’s advent to power and his administration’s ‘America First’ approach focused on historical partners and rivals constituted an unfavorable conjuncture for Algeria.

    The relationship clearly degraded when Trump decided to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara over claims of the Polisario Front, Algeria’s strategic ally in checking Morocco. In return, Morocco entered the Abraham Accords, recognizing Israel—Washington’s crucial ally in the Middle East. Both U.S. and Moroccan decisions struck at the heart of Algiers’s national security and foreign policy concerns. The concurrent domestic turmoil of the Hirak movement in 2019 did not leave much space for foreign policy priorities, leaving the new government with little political capital to give a concrete response to this massive diplomatic failure by Algiers’ standards.

    Contrary to Algerian expectations that the Biden administration would change course, no reversal of this decision emerged, and the sour relations between Washington and Algiers have not improved since 2020. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are currently at their lowest point. This nadir, paired with the recent fallout with France and the simultaneous rupture with Spain over the colonial past of the former and the latter’s new approach to the Western Sahara question have all brought Algiers towards unprecedented isolation from the Western world. In turn, this isolation has resulted in Algeria reinforcing its bonds with revisionist powers and downgrading those with the West, a fact that is showcased by Algiers’ punitive attitude and growing intransigence towards France and Spain.

    Russia and China: Open Arms

    Over the past two years, the informal alliance of Russia and China have proved happy to bring Algeria closer in response, providing Algeria with a ticket to ‘de-isolation.’ These ties go back decades; Algiers and Moscow have shared a strong bond since the former’s independence and have built a close partnership. Through a 2006 Memorandum of Understanding, Russia’s Gazprom has also helped Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach to evolve its LNG output.

    Security relations are especially close; Algeria is dependent on Russian arms imports, buying 81% of its military equipment from Russia over the last three years and serving as Russia’s third arms largest importer, after India and China. During the 2010s, Russian arms exports increased by 129% percent from the previous decade. In 2022, Algeria is Russia’s third largest arms client only behind India and China. Algeria and Russia have conducted joint military exercises in disputed areas, such as South Ossetia in October 2021, and have agreed to perform a similar activity on the Algerian borders with Morocco in November 2022—an agreement made during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    Not only did Algiers acquiesce to this military exercise amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but its diplomats also refused to condemn Moscow in the UN in March, notwithstanding Algeria’s historical adherence to the principle of state sovereignty. In exchange, Russia supports Algeria in the Western Sahara issue—understood as a way to counter Morocco’s alliance with the United States—and it has forgiven billions of dollars of Algerian debt.

    Similar to the Russian-Algerian ties, the warm relations with China date back to the Cold War era, especially the Mao Zedong period. Recently, Beijing’s global ambitions buttressed by its mammoth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project has brought China at the doorsteps of various countries around the world with partnership and investment proposals. North Africa was included in China’s global reach and Algeria is willing to further expand Beijing’s footprint as the latter’s most invaluable regional partner.

    China has already heavily invested in infrastructure in Algeria and trade flow between the two old friends has skyrocketed over the last decade. Chinese businesses in the energy and construction sectors are multiplying on the Algerian soil, while Algiers is a partaker in the BRI project. As part of this project in Algeria, Beijing and Algiers have agreed on a $3.3 billion project for the construction of the first deep-water port in Algeria in the coast town of Cherchell, west of the Algerian capital. The port of El Hamdania will be the second largest deep-water port in Africa. Finally, yet importantly, China is gradually becoming a significant arms exporter to Algeria. Since 2018, Algeria has received or ordered around twenty Chinese reconnaissance and combat drones of assorted classes. In 2018 for example, five Rainbow CH-3 and five Rainbow CH-4 drones were delivered to Algeria and as recently as January 2022, the latter ordered six Rainbow CH-5 Chinese drones that constitute the most advanced version of the series.

    To sum up, Algeria’s interest in its relations with China and Russia are not new developments. Yet Algeria’s perception of Washington as overtly and continually backing Morocco over itself is pushing Algeria further into the open arms of Russia and China and distancing its former ties with the other camp. Both states are happy to exploit Algiers’s disappointment and sense of isolation. By tapping into the old cold war bonds, the two have proved eager to sever Algeria’s policy of balance between them and the West and bring Algiers firmly into the revisionist camp. This strategy seems to have borne fruits so far: Algeria grows more assertive in its relations with the West, as the ongoing diplomatic crisis with Spain shows.

    Rebalancing: Opportunities and Challenges

    While Algeria is trying to curb domestic instability and navigate a changing geopolitical landscape, there are diplomatic opportunities and challenges it should consider before being sucked into this revisionist camp by inertia.

    To begin with, the Russian invasion in Ukraine might have triggered numerous global ripple effects, such as food insecurity, but it has also generated opportunities for Algiers that may help it deal with the ‘isolation challenge’ it has faced with Western states over the past few years.

    In the wake of the invasion, the West demonstrated more unity than any other moment after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The response to Putin’s act of aggression was so uniform and radical that the western countries seemed to rally around a common objective of safeguarding the post-Cold War liberal international order against Russia’s assertive revisionism. However, other actors such as China and Iran have embraced this revisionism and are backing Russia, either explicitly or implicitly.

    In its effort to counter this revisionist bloc, the West needs every possible ally and Algeria can use this card to gain from both sides. Algeria has been presented with the opportunity to become relevant in the eyes of the United States once again while keeping channels of communication open with Russia, China, and Iran, at the same time. In other words, Algeria can adopt a foreign policy akin to that successfully employed by India, i.e., unfettered and non-aligned.

    Furthermore, the war in Ukraine offers Algeria numerous energy-related opportunities. Spiking oil and gas prices have helped to generate high rents to the energy-dependent Algerian economy, which has suffered from the dive in oil prices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Europe has made it clear that it aims to replace the Russian oil and gas imports with LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) and crude oil imports from other partners, with many planned LNG terminals on the horizon.

    Algeria, a longtime energy exporter to southern Europe, therefore has the chance to increase its sales to the whole continent dramatically. By doing so, Algiers will benefit both economically and diplomatically, since it will acquire reinvigorated importance in Washington’s agenda as a crucial partner to Europe’s quest for energy independence, something the U.S. has long prioritized. In fact, Algeria has already harnessed this new dynamic by signing a mammoth energy deal with Italy in April 2022. The agreement will render Algeria Italy’s largest gas supplier, supplanting Russia’s hold on this position for many years.

    Apart from addressing its isolation in the Mediterranean, Algiers must restore its ties with France and Spain to benefit the country’s fragile economy. It urgently needs to access large European markets to profit from the soaring energy prices and to exploit the West’s aspirations to end Russia’s quasi-monopoly on energy exports to Europe. The latter will also bring Washington’s attention back to the region. It’s a fine line—Algeria must also address its economy’s over-dependency on the oil sector and the economic precariousness that this entails. Like other victims of the ‘Dutch disease,’ exports become more expensive and its imports cheaper resulting in the decay of other crucial sectors of the economy.

    Algeria’s challenge in managing its energy exports is also linked with the galloping domestic demand for energy. The conditions are ideal for Algiers to embark on a rally of energy exports in order to fully recover from the economic regression triggered by Covid-19, but it should do so without neglecting the considerable increase in the country’s population every year, which will translate into growing energy demand domestically.

    Nevertheless, a reset with Algiers’ northern neighbors is in order. For such a rapprochement with France and Spain to occur, Algeria should temper the nationalist discourse that permeates its foreign policy with pragmatism and emphasize on the benefits it can reap through further robust trade agreements with its European energy partners. Nor can the thawing Franco/Spanish-Algerian relations be a one sided effort. On their end, Madrid and Paris should also appease Algiers by refraining from raising controversial and sensitive issues, against the latter, and by not publicly siding with Morocco on the Western Sahara issue.

    In France’s case, Champs Elysées seem to understand that and appear willing to take steps towards the easing of tensions. President Macron’s recent appeal to his Algerian counterpart demonstrates the French desire for rapprochement. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Algerian independence, the French leader sent a letter to President Tebboune calling for the ‘strengthening of the already strong Franco-Algerian ties’.

    Algeria is perhaps in the most critical period in its diplomatic history since the end of the civil war in the 1990s. Pressing challenges on one side and promising opportunities on the other form the current geopolitical environment. Algeria must recognize this, and that as the war in Ukraine continues to reshape broader multilateral relations, Algiers must determine whether it maintains neutrality or drifts further into the revisionist camp—a decision that will affect its position in the regional and the international systems.

    Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 09/08/2022

    #Algeria #USA #Russia #China #Gas #Petrol

  • Sánchez, Europe and Western Sahara

    Sánchez, Europe and Western Sahara

    Western Sahara, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, France, USA, Europe, NATO, neo-colonialism,


    Jesus L. Garay
    Member of Asociación de Amigos y Amigas de la RASD (Association of Friends of SADR)

    We need all the strength of solidarity and all the democratic political will to stop this neo-colonialist coup, to dismantle the fallacious arguments of political expediency and false humanitarian compassion deployed by the PSOE and to launch an effective social and political mobilisation.

    Three months after Morocco leaked Pedro Sánchez’s letter in which the Spanish government modified its formal position on the Western Sahara issue, the echoes of the reactions provoked by this turnaround, far from abating, continue to be at the forefront of political and media statements, this time in the wake of Algeria’s suspension of the friendship and cooperation treaty with Spain.

    The Spanish government’s decision undoubtedly has many implications that would be impossible to cover briefly, just as it is impossible to deal with the multitude of blunders that have been and are being made in commenting on the various aspects of this issue.

    Above all, the implications of the government’s position on the internal politics of the state have been commented on; but beyond generic statements and motions, if anything has become clear on this issue it is that the parties that make up or support this government are incapable – or perhaps simply have no real will – of reversing the decision to implicitly recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Spanish colony. Equally, it seems that social organisations have not been able to channel the sympathy and solidarity that the Sahrawi cause arouses in the vast majority of the population into a clear expression of rejection or indignation. However, as Algeria’s decision shows, it is never too late to take the initiative.

    However, Algeria’s latest decisions highlight a dimension that has been almost silenced by the noise caused by the forms and timing of the government’s decision. Indeed, at the international level, the declarations of support for the Moroccan occupation reveal that the decision is not the result of a simple ‘hot flash’ by Mr Sánchez, as some media outlets are trying to describe it – although there is clearly some improvisation – nor, as is being done especially on social networks, a simple surrender to Morocco’s brutal blackmail – which is also the case.

    The Spanish government’s current position is the result of a far-reaching strategic effort to consolidate a balance of power in the Arab Maghreb that is definitely favourable to the neo-colonial interests of the capitalist West. This effort, initially led by the United States, as befits its status as a hegemonic power, found its ultimate expression in the declaration of an outgoing president, Donald Trump, accepting Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for the full restoration of relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the state of Israel.

    In the current international order, however, geopolitical control of this area of North Africa does not lie directly with the US, but with Europe. Not the Europe of rights and democratic values that they want to sell us, but the Europe of migratory necropolitics, a subsidiary of NATO and heir to the most recent colonialism, which in recent years has been sliding towards the ideological far right.

    Many of the reactions of policy-makers to Algeria’s severing of relations with Spain demonstrate that, at bottom, Europe’s view of Africa has hardly changed since the Berlin conference of 1885 and, like the US with Latin America, it continues to treat the African continent as its backyard: a kind of huge estate from which to extract the resources necessary for its economic and social development and where African inhabitants and leaders should confine themselves to doing that job effectively.

    The list of assassinations, coups d’état and military interventions to control independence movements or simply to « moderate » policies deemed potentially dangerous to Europe’s interests is not closed. France, the UK and Germany openly and clandestinely strive to condition the political and economic life of the peoples of Africa, because the direction of the European economy they lead largely depends on it.

    Certainly, European neo-colonial practice is in open contradiction with the legal framework created after the Second World War, the so-called international legality, which is why, to a large extent, the interventions are of a « covert » type or simply silenced from public opinion. And yes, Spain, although it is the only European country that still has a recognised colony in Africa, Western Sahara, plays a marginal role in this endeavour. Like remaining in NATO, this is part of the price it had to pay in exchange for EU membership.

    In this context, the Arab Maghreb has become one of the most obvious theatres of confrontation between neo-colonial interests and the rights of African peoples, with Western Sahara probably the most decisive battleground in this respect. If Morocco finally succeeds in appropriating the strategic territory of Western Sahara and controlling its assets, the West will have largely succeeded in balancing the main power in the region, which is currently Algeria.

    The only problem is the resistance put up by the small Sahrawi people, using international law in their favour. Indeed, the Saharawi people, at least since the creation of the Polisario Front, have based the legitimacy of their struggle on international law. This has been an important asset in confronting colonialism and reaffirming their will to achieve the right to self-determination and independence. Thus, every time the neo-colonial forces have tried to justify or perpetuate their misdeeds, each and every international body and court has ratified the legitimacy of the Saharawi resistance and condemned colonial practices.

    So-called international legality is, curiously enough, a creation of those who support the occupation of the territory, the plundering of its resources, and the attempt to annihilate the original population. That is, the political-economic group of governments and companies that finance and provide the means and weapons for the occupation of Western Sahara. In this lobby of death and plunder, Spanish governments and companies do have, for historical and geographical reasons, a prominent role.

    It has been 50 years of an unstable balance between legitimacy and economic and geopolitical interests. It is a struggle in which neither side can be considered the definitive winner. Neo-colonialism has tried to make the Saharawi people surrender by bombing civilian refugees, mass disappearances, the invasion of settlers, the massive plundering of resources, all kinds of tactics to delay the implementation of UN resolutions, lies and silence, and the blatant support of Spain, France and the USA for the genocidal regime of Mohamed VI, but the Saharawi resistance continues, supported by international law. The sale of arms, the gigantic theft of phosphates and fish, the agricultural business with the King of Morocco, the fossil and green energy from Western Sahara exploited by companies such as Siemens-Gamesa, thus appear as facts that have been fulfilled but are impossible to justify or legalise.

    The key to breaking this cruel stalemate could lie in a series of rulings by the European Court of Justice which, since 2016, have been narrowing the margin for these colonial practices to be carried out, by declaring the economic agreements with Morocco on which they are based to be null and void. Throughout 2023, it is expected that the highest European judicial instance will definitively resolve the dispute in favour of the Polisario Front’s arguments, which should lead the EU to rethink its relations with Morocco as a whole. Not only trade relations, but all issues affecting the territory of Western Sahara, which Morocco considers its own and which constitutes not only the Alawi kingdom’s main source of wealth, but, as we have explained, the only hope, both for Morocco and for Europe, of being able to confront its main rival on the Maghreb chessboard.

    The Spanish government’s decision, therefore, would be part of a plan to impose the reality of the occupation through international political consensus, whatever the decision of the European courts. Building such a consensus in the European case requires the direct involvement of the two main governments, France and Germany, and, in the case of Western Sahara, the colonial power of reference, Spain – as would be Belgium in the case of the Republic of Congo or Portugal in the case of Mozambique. Once this « realpolitik » consensus has been built, it would be easy to bring together the majority of European governments – although perhaps not as easy as it has been in the case of the war in Ukraine – and, together with the United States, impose the law of the strongest in this corner of the world.

    That is why we need all the strength of solidarity and all the democratic political will to stop this neo-colonialist coup, to dismantle the fallacious arguments of political expediency and false humanitarian compassion that the PSOE has deployed, and to launch an effective social and political mobilisation. Because it is not only the freedom and rights of an African people that are at stake, but also whether or not governments and companies can impose their will above the law, which they themselves claim to promote.

    NAIZ, 10 juin 2022

    #WesternSahara #Morocco #Spain #NATO #France #USA #Neocolonialism #Maghreb

  • USA, Emirats, Bahreïn et le Maroc se rencontrent en Palestine

    USA, Emirats, Bahreïn et le Maroc se rencontrent en Palestine

    USA, Emirats, Bahreïn et le Maroc se rencontrent en Palestine – Antony Blinken, normalisation, Israël,

    L’entité sioniste a annoncé vendredi la tenue d’une rencontre « historique » à l’occasion de la visite prévue du secrétaire d’Etat américain Antony Blinken, avec les Emirats arabes unis, le Maroc et Bahreïn, trois pays arabes ayant récemment normalisé leurs relations avec l’Etat hébreu

    « A l’invitation du ministre des Affaires étrangères Yaïr Lapid, ce dimanche et lundi, un sommet diplomatique historique se tiendra en Israël », a indiqué son bureau dans un court communiqué. « Le secrétaire d’Etat américain et les ministres des Affaires étrangères des Emirats arabes unis, du Maroc et de Bahreïn arriveront en Palestine occupée pour une série de rencontres diplomatiques », est-il précisé.

    Les Emirats arabes unis et Bahreïn ont été les premiers pays arabes du Golfe à normaliser publiquement leurs relations avec l’entité sioniste en septembre 2020, sous l’impulsion de Donald Trump, alors président des Etats-Unis.

    Le Maroc et le Soudan ont ensuite établi des accords similaires.

    Wassim Benrabah

    Source

    #Palestine #USA #Israel #EAU #Bahrein #Maroc

  • Hypocrisie: L’USA soutient les annexions illégales d’Israël et du Maroc

    Hypocrisie: L’USA soutient les annexions illégales d’Israël et du Maroc

    Hypocrisie: L’USA soutient les annexions illégales d’Israël et du Maroc – Etats-Unis, Sahara Occidental, Joe Biden, Ukraine,

    L’Amérique doit être cohérente. Elle ne peut pas choisir quand elle veut suivre le droit international.

    En décembre dernier, alors que les forces russes encerclaient l’Ukraine, l’administration Biden et ses alliés ont adressé un avertissement sévère à Vladimir Poutine : « Tout recours à la force pour modifier les frontières est strictement interdit par le droit international. » En janvier, alors que les troupes russes se massaient encore plus nombreuses, le secrétaire d’État Antony Blinken a ajouté que « l’inviolabilité des frontières » faisait partie des « principes directeurs du comportement international. » Le mois dernier, après que le Parlement russe a reconnu l’indépendance de deux républiques autoproclamées que Moscou avait séparées de l’Ukraine orientale, M. Blinken a qualifié cette atteinte à « la souveraineté et à l’intégrité territoriale de l’Ukraine » de « violation flagrante du droit international ».

    Tout cela est indiscutablement vrai. La modification des frontières par la force viole un principe fondamental du droit international. C’est pourquoi l’administration Biden doit faire plus que résister à l’agression de la Russie en Ukraine. Elle doit cesser de violer ce principe elle-même.

    En 2019, l’administration Trump a fait des États-Unis le seul pays étranger à reconnaître l’annexion par Israël du plateau du Golan, qu’Israël a saisi à la Syrie lors de la guerre de 1967. Le professeur de droit de l’université de Tel Aviv Eliav Lieblich a noté que cette décision – qui contredisait une résolution unanime du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies soutenue par les États-Unis eux-mêmes – constituait un « écart important par rapport à l’interdiction juridique fondamentale de l’annexion unilatérale. » Oona Hathaway, de la faculté de droit de Yale, a qualifié cette décision de « scandaleuse et potentiellement déstabilisante pour l’ordre international d’après-guerre ». Le gouvernement russe l’a qualifiée d’ »indication du mépris que Washington affiche pour les normes du droit international ».

    Après la décision de Trump, le sénateur de l’Illinois Richard Durbin a demandé au secrétaire d’État Mike Pompeo d’expliquer la différence juridique entre l’annexion du Golan par Israël et l’annexion de la Crimée par Moscou en 2014, qui avait conduit les États-Unis à imposer des sanctions. Pompeo a répondu qu’ »il existe une doctrine de droit international sur ce point précis. Nous n’avons pas le temps de commencer à la parcourir aujourd’hui. Mais [je suis] heureux de demander à une équipe d’y aller et de vous guider à ce sujet. » Lorsque les journalistes ont fait un suivi, le Département d’Etat n’a cité aucune doctrine de droit international. Au contraire, une porte-parole du département a déclaré, de manière insensée, que « la politique américaine continue d’être qu’aucun pays ne peut changer les frontières d’un autre par la force. »

    Puis, en 2020, l’administration Trump a enchaîné en faisant des États-Unis le seul pays étranger à reconnaître l’annexion par le Maroc du Sahara occidental, un territoire que le Maroc a envahi en 1975 après le retrait des dirigeants coloniaux espagnols du territoire. L’ancien secrétaire d’État James Baker III a qualifié cette décision de « recul stupéfiant par rapport aux principes du droit international ». Une fois de plus, les États-Unis ont contredit les résolutions du Conseil de sécurité qu’ils avaient eux-mêmes soutenues. Une fois de plus, la Russie a reproché aux États-Unis de transgresser un principe de « droit international universellement reconnu ».

    Depuis son entrée en fonction, l’administration Biden n’est revenue sur aucune de ces décisions de Trump. Au contraire, les États-Unis continuent de fournir à Israël une aide militaire de près de 4 milliards de dollars par an, sans aucune condition relative aux droits de l’homme, alors même que Human Rights Watch et Amnesty International affirment que ce pays pratique l’apartheid. L’administration Biden a également augmenté les ventes d’armes au Maroc, même si l’organisme américain de surveillance de la démocratie Freedom House rapporte que les habitants du Sahara occidental jouissent de moins de libertés que les habitants de Chine ou d’Iran.

    L’invasion à grande échelle de l’Ukraine par la Russie donne à l’administration Biden une chance de reconsidérer cette voie dangereuse. Elle peut exploiter la répulsion mondiale actuelle contre l’agression de Poutine pour reconstruire le principe selon lequel aucun pays ne doit redessiner les frontières d’un autre par la force. Mais seulement si elle revient sur les décisions de Trump et prouve que les États-Unis sont prêts à vivre selon les normes qu’ils exigent de Moscou. Politiquement, ce ne sera pas facile, car Israël, qui bénéficie d’un fort soutien à Washington, a bénéficié des deux décisions de Trump – sa décision sur le plateau du Golan et sa décision sur le Sahara occidental, qui a contribué à convaincre le Maroc de normaliser ses relations diplomatiques avec l’État juif. Mais les normes internationales ne restent fortes que si les pays les respectent lorsqu’elles sont gênantes. Et si les États-Unis choisissent de continuer à faire preuve d’hypocrisie, ils rendront plus vulnérables l’Ukraine, Taïwan et toute autre nation plus faible bordée par un voisin rapace.

    Après que le secrétaire d’État Pompeo a défendu la reconnaissance par Trump de l’annexion du plateau du Golan par Israël, le sénateur Durbin a prévenu : « Je ne pense pas que l’administration pense clairement à la façon dont cela se termine bien. » Il avait raison. L’érosion continue de la norme contre l’agression internationale ne se terminera pas bien. L’attaque de la Russie contre l’Ukraine n’en est que le dernier signe. L’administration Biden peut endiguer cette érosion dès maintenant. Mais en plus de la bataille militaire à laquelle elle participe en Ukraine, elle doit mener une bataille politique au niveau national.

    Peter Beinart est professeur de journalisme et de sciences politiques à la Newmark School of Journalism de la City University of New York. Il est également rédacteur en chef de Jewish Currents et rédige The Beinart Notebook, une lettre d’information hebdomadaire.

    The Guardian, 10/03/2022

    #Maroc #SaharaOccidental #EtatsUnis #JoeBiden #Israël

  • Secretary Clinton Visit to Morocco (*)

    Secretary Clinton Visit to Morocco (*)

    Secretary Clinton Visit to Morocco (*) – USA, Strategic Dialogue, Hillary Clinton, Lobbying, Edward Gabriel, Robert M. Holley, Western Sahara, Polisario Frente,

    Background
    Hillary Clinton’s scheduled February 26 visit to Morocco will very likely be her last trip to Morocco as US Secretary of State. She has made clear that she will not remain in her current position should President Obama win re-election in November. Consequently, her visit later this month will likely represent our best opportunity to secure a commitment from her to make significant progress on several important objectives that we have hoped to achieve during her tenure at the State Department. The visit will offer a good opportunity to consolidate progress made during Foreign Minister Fassi Fihri’s meeting with Secretary Clinton in Washington in March of last year, as well as a new opportunity to take an important step forward in consolidating US support for Morocco’s initiative to resolve the issue in Western Sahara.

    Objectives for the Visit
    Secure a public statement of support from the Secretary for Morocco’s reforms and the importance that the US attaches to working with Morocco as a partner in promoting progress in the Middle East and North Africa. In this regard, seek assurance of the Secretary to formally inaugurate the Strategic Dialogue announced one year ago.

    Gain Clinton’s support for committing US development resources to improving the lives of those living in the Southern Provinces as authorized in the December 2011 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that gives the Obama Administration a green light to use US funds in the Sahara provinces.
    Receive a commitment from the Secretary that the Department will respond to the Leahy language in a strong positively worded answer, in order to put this issue to rest, once and for all.

    Encourage the Secretary to reiterate US support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative as “serious, credible and realistic” and to state publicly that events in the region make a resolution of the Western Sahara issue through a political compromise a necessity in order to promote regional cooperation and integration, as well as combat the growing influence and activities of regional terrorist and criminal elements that seek to profit from the uncertainties of Arab Spring developments in the region.

    Suggested Points on Western Sahara
    Describe steps Morocco has taken in an effort to improve relations with Algeria and foster a better climate for regional cooperation and resolution of the Sahara. Explain Moroccan perception of the results of these efforts.
    Give Secretary Clinton a full understanding of Morocco’s commitment to resolving this issue as quickly as possible and explain the dangers of continued stalemate, especially as AQIM and other criminal groups seek to destabilize the region.

    Express Morocco’s appreciation for Congress’ authorization for the Obama Administration to use US development assistance funds to help improve the lives of those living in the Southern Provinces. Explain how such actions could help create a better climate for resolving the larger problem in the Sahara. Express willingness to work closely with the State Department and US development agencies to identify programs that could be implemented and suggest that a working level meeting in the near future should be arranged to address this opportunity to enhance US/Morocco efforts on this issue. This will be the one and only signal during her tenure that moves the WS issue incrementally forward. She should see it accomplished before she leaves office. This is one of the two most impactful items Clinton can do with Morocco before leaving office.

    The other issue that would leave an indelible Clinton signature is the US-Moroccan Strategic Dialogue. She should make sure that this Dialogue is established as an on-going process, and that the first meeting is held prior to her leaving office.

    Encourage Secretary Clinton to make a strong public statement of support for the need to resolve the Sahara problem and reiterate the need for compromise as she again expresses the US view of Morocco’s initiative as “serious, credible and realistic.” Anything less will be perceived as the State Department “walking back” previous commitments.
    In this regard reiterate Morocco’s commitment that the refugees in the Algerian camps are welcome to come home and will be assisted in building a new life for themselves and their families.

    Explain the consequences of the Leahy language to the bilateral relations and the perception by the Moroccan population. Specifically explain the importance of an unequivocal and strong positive response from the State Department in this regard in order to lay this issue to rest, once and for all.

    (*) Document elaborated by the former ambassador to Morocco, Edward Gabriel (just appointed by Joe Biden as a member of the U.S. Institute of Peace, pending Senate confirmation) and Robert M. Holley, member of the Moroccan lobby group in Washington.

    #Morocco #WesternSahara #FrentePolisatio #HillaryClinton #Lobbying #EdwardGabriel #RobertHolley #StrategicDialogue

  • Tunisie: Communiqué Conjoint des Chefs de Mission diplomatique

    Tunisie: Communiqué Conjoint des Chefs de Mission diplomatique – ambassades, missions diplomatiques, UE, USA,

    Nous, chefs de mission des ambassades d’Allemagne, du Canada, des Etats-Unis d’Amérique, de France, d’Italie, du Japon, du Royaume-Uni, et de la Délégation de l’Union européenne en Tunisie, soutenons fermement le peuple tunisien dans son aspiration à une gouvernance efficace, démocratique et transparente.

    Nous réaffirmons l’importance de la stabilité socio-économique du pays pour répondre aux attentes du peuple tunisien. Nous encourageons et nous nous tenons prêts à accompagner la mise en œuvre rapide des avancées nécessaires au redressement de la situation économique et financière de la Tunisie, y compris celles qui sont actuellement en cours de discussion avec des partenaires internationaux, afin de protéger les plus vulnérables, et de créer les bases d’une croissance durable et équitable.

    Alors que la Tunisie s’apprête à prendre des décisions souveraines en matière de réformes économiques, constitutionnelles  et électorales, nous réaffirmons notre attachement au respect des libertés fondamentales de l’ensemble des Tunisiens, et à un processus politique inclusif et transparent, impliquant une large participation des forces politiques et sociales du pays, suivant un calendrier précis, pour permettre le retour rapide au fonctionnement des institutions démocratique, avec un Parlement élu jouant un rôle significatif. Cela permettra de garantir un soutien large et durable aux progrès futurs de la Tunisie.

    Nous nous tenons prêts à aider la Tunisie et son peuple à relever ces défis.

    Ambassade des États-Unis Tunis, 10/12/2021

    #Tunisie #EtatsUnis #Allemagne #Canada #France #Italie #Japon #GB #UE