Morocco breaks up plot to finance terror through bank robberies
2008-12-14
In the latest in a series of high-profile terror arrests in Morocco, the Interior Ministry disclosed a new twist in terrorist strategy. While the arrests show security measures are paying off, they are also troubling to citizens.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 14/12/08
 [Getty Images] Moroccan Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa announces the arrest of terrorists in several cities. |
Moroccan security services disrupted a terrorist plot to set up a guerilla training camp and fund weapons purchases by committing bank robberies, Moroccan Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa announced on Friday (December 12th), adding that the five terrorists arrested in Berkane were "Salafist Jihadists" seeking to join Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb.
Other arrests around the country involved a number of people wanted by the police in connection with terrorism offences, the minister said, without revealing the exact number of those detained. According to Assabah, among those arrested in Fes and Rabat are two members of the Al Hijra Wa Attakfir movement who were planning to travel to Algeria en route to Afghanistan and Iraq to join al-Qaeda.
Some experts were surprised that the plot disclosed Friday involved bank robbery as a terror-financing mechanism.
"Drug trafficking is the usual source of income for terrorist networks. It is rare for them to attempt to hold up banks," said political science professor Abderrahmane Ibrahimi.
While Moroccan authorities have been highly vigilant in arresting network members before they are able to carry out attacks, this is no cause for optimism, he added.
"Terrorists can strike anytime, anywhere," he said. Ibrahimi believes Morocco and Algeria "must strengthen their partnership further to eradicate the problem, which is hitting the region hard." He also called on the Moroccan government to address terrorism by solving the country's economic and social issues.
Announcements of arrests have become increasingly frequent since the beginning of the year.
The February arrests of members of a 36-strong terrorist network headed by Moroccan-Belgian Abdelkader Belliraj received much media attention. In May, a terrorist group with 11 members plotting attacks on Morocco and Belgium was dismantled. In July, the security services arrested in various cities 35 members of a terrorist network specialising in the recruitment of volunteers for branches of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Algeria. In August, a fourth Islamist network with 15 members in possession of chemicals and electronics to be used in explosive devices was disbanded.
While the string of arrests may indicate the effectiveness and vigilance of the security services, they are also troubling to citizens, who perceive the threat of terrorism to be everywhere.
"Although the security services have shown vigilance and been successful in cracking down on dormant terrorist cells, terrorists could strike again before the authorities are able to react, as happened in Casablanca," banker Salim Bouaazzaoui told Magharebia.
"We even suspect our neighbours," student Samira Bertali noted. The people who were arrested lived in residential neighbourhoods as ordinary citizens, she said.
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Straw Posted 2008-12-14
Since 11 September 2001, the announcements of arrests being made in Morocco has multiplied. It is as if the latter is under a permanent threat greater than that in the other countries of the world or as if it is the only one targeted in this world. Note that this is the only country in the Maghreb or even the entire Arab world where nearly every week or, rather, nearly every day the arrests of terrorists and the dismantling of terrorist conspiracies against our country are being announced. It seem that all Moroccans are terrorists!!! The clumsiness of the Makhzen security policies is blatant!!! The Makhzen, with their mischievousness and trickery, have but the goal of simply repressing the people, believing themselves all the more intelligent for fooling the West’s professional services, which are more competent and sophisticated than theirs!!! Barack Obama will soon put an end to the Makhzen malice and to the services’ of the dictatorial Arab countries masquerade. They are taking advantage of the “War on Terrorism” to repress the people, restrict their freedoms and illegally combat civil opposition, which is only demanding democracy, development, equity, justice, the freedom of expression and so on!
Andy Posted 2008-12-17
Excellent police and intelligence work by the Moroccans. Only a few countries are well run as Morocco. This is not India or Algeria or even the U.K. This is M.O.R.O.C.C.O. , you can't fart without the DST knowing it.
علي سرار Posted 2008-12-19
I swear by God the Almighty that there is one terrorism in Morocco not two. It is social injustice and big disparity between social classes. This means that there is in Morocco, which is terrified without clear reasons, people who drink sheep juice and throw the rest to their dogs. They eat bread made of almonds and flowers water not Sidi Ali or Sidi Harazem. In this country which was gifted by God with very kind people with endless patience, but we don’t know when it will end, there are people who own thousands of hectares and those who don’t have a parcel of land where to live. They even forbid passage on these wide lands. In Morocco, some try those they want and determine their prison sentence before even the unjustly-treated goes to court. We have competent people, but they have nearly reached retirement age and they have no job. We have people who grew old without marrying because they have no resources. Therefore, we say to officials, this is the school of terrorisms. Terrorists graduate here. Close horizons are terrorism. Starvation is terrorism even in the world of animals and so on. But we will just find patient people. For that reason, the minister of the interior should give to the people realistic analyses and not just assign to its sons etiquettes of terrorism arbitrarily. Even if some members of the people commit some attacks here and there, these explosions are perpetuated for the above reasons. Every consequence has a cause. So reduce causes protectors of Morocco before it is too late. According to reports, the network of the five members is a group of wage-earners who were exhausted by arduous works such working for 60 dirhams a day, the highest educational they achieved is the primary. So there is a blessing in destiny, you have all the consideration.
boras Posted 2008-12-19
Bravo! Morocco leads the way when it comes to Intelligence operations. I think our brother neighbours have a lot to learn from Morocco. Again Bravo to Morocco. Boras.
omar Posted 2008-12-20
I address my special thanks to Mr Chakib Benmoussa as well as the departments of the ministry of the interior in all the kingdom. However, the question is how can local authorities deal with this widespread phenomenon in our country?
علي سرار Posted 2008-12-23
At a time when the world is unable to give a clear definition of terrorism, it stopped at the American definition alone saying that everyone who bears arms even to liberate his land is a terrorist. Bush announced his famous statement “If you aren’t with us, you are against us”. When you hear this statement which can have many interpretations, most world regimes on top of them Arab regimes were affected by the ailment of (isolator from isolation) disowning. Morocco has begun prevention, this is its right to protect its security and our security. Many charges have appeared including belonging to the Salafi movement also referred to sometimes as Jihadi. This movement should have of course an ideological aspect which requires a culture and an understanding which cannot be easily understood by a citizen who graduated from primary school. Therefore, the charge is very hard and it is even harder to get it…In this second comment on this unidentified site in my opinion, I only know that it is Maghrebi and interested in some issues of interest to everyone. I swear by God again, even if I have an average understanding of the ideology of some parties, some concepts in the Arab language and some covered meanings of many politicians, but I don’t understand what is Salafism. I don’t know what are its destructive trends in the Arab world and Morocco in particular? I also don’t know Wahabism. If Salafism has ability to attract those who don’t know its ideology and destructive trend, if it is capable of gathering in its ranks idiots, low-educational level people, this is a catastrophe. Morocco should have offered courses about it through all the media especially TV so that young people won’t fall in the two traps, the trap of Salafism and the trap of the government. May be just wearing distorted clothes such as Afghan dresses in a country where such dresses are foreign: a cloak, plus a jacket plus wide trousers equal an idiot Salafi. But where is the ideology and conviction? More than that, where us nationalism? Where is Islam? Where is moderation in opinions far from fanaticism for a category on the detriment of a set of values on top of them our tolerant religion?
djaouti mohamed cherif Posted 2008-12-28
In the name of God, a thousand prayers and peace be upon the prophets the messenger; embezzlement is, in general, considered criminal throughout the world in Algeria, the Maghreb and Africa can hardly be considered indirect financing of terrorism or even unarmed political opposition, because, as it happens in Algeria, for example, the security services warn in advance that if you embezzle you will be caught by the newspapers and it will be published that you committed the act. The Sudan is not exempt from this type of attack and its president, Omar Al-Bashir is far from being a criminal against humanity. He knows about the technological infiltration undertaken by the security and military services: he knows where and by whom the act is being committed, i.e., Iraq. There has been more death in this little bit of time, yet the Kurdish Muslim president remains free of accusation. It is thus a case of double standards. If there is an entity in the Sudan who wants to take power, may they declare it directly and in front of everyone some way or another. May they take power, but do so democratically. The freedom of expression sometimes necessitates fighting, but never beatings or murder. Allah, has given us all the freedom of thought and expression so that we may do what we please in our lives and He may judge us after our death, because He will bring us back to life to live a second time and that goes for everyone, even the djinns. –Signed, Al Mahdi Al Montador Al Massih Al Mahdi, named Aissa. (I have even been represented by the Sudanese before being among them today. So, I am also considered as Sudanese, what ever the circumstances may be. Thank you, my Lord: you are the cleanser and white light inside of and around me.)
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