Country Reports on Terrorism 2015 - Morocco

Overview: Morocco has a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies. The government has treated counterterrorism as a top policy priority since the country experienced suicide bombing attacks in Casablanca in 2003, and that focus was reinforced by further attacks in 2007 and 2011. In 2015, Morocco's counterterrorism efforts mitigated the risk of terrorism, although the country continued to face threats, largely from numerous small, independent violent extremist cells. Those groups and individuals, referred to collectively as adherents of the so-called Salafiyya Jihadiyya ideology, remained isolated from one another, small in size, and limited in capabilities. Some claimed to be inspired by or affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

During the year, authorities reported the disruption of multiple groups with ties to international networks that included ISIL. Al Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and ISIL continued efforts to recruit Moroccans for combat in other countries, and there were reports of Moroccans attempting to join AQIM, ISIL, and other violent extremists in Libya, Iraq, and Syria. The Ministry of Interior (MOI) estimated that approximately 1,500 Moroccans have joined terrorist organizations since 2011, with 719 fighting alongside ISIL. The Moroccan government remained concerned about the potential return of veteran Moroccan foreign terrorist fighters from those conflict zones to conduct possible terrorist attacks at home. The government was also concerned about Moroccans becoming radicalized to violence during their stays in Western Europe. ISIL continued to call for attacks against the Moroccan monarchy and prominent Moroccan institutions and individuals.

Morocco is a member of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL and has made contributions and commitments to the effort. Morocco also participates in the Counter-ISIL Finance Group. The government was increasingly proactive in 2015 to both stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and to counter ISIL propaganda. According to local media, Moroccan security forces carried out 149 terrorism-related arrests between January and November, including an Azerbaijani and two Turkish nationals.

In June, the Government of Morocco enacted significant amendments to the criminal code to address the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon. The provisions of the law – criminalizing joining, or attempting to join a terrorist group; receiving terrorist training; and terrorist recruiting; take a substantial step towards implementing Morocco's international obligations under UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2178.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Morocco enacted comprehensive counterterrorism legislation in 2003. In June 2015, amendments to address the threat of foreign terrorist fighters were published in the official gazette. The new legislation expands the definition of terrorist offenses to cover acts or attempts to join a terrorist group as well as involvement in recruitment and training activities. The new law also extends the jurisdiction of the national courts to allow the prosecution of foreign nationals who commit terrorist crimes outside Morocco if they are present on Moroccan soil.

Moroccan law enforcement units aggressively targeted and effectively dismantled terrorist cells within the country by leveraging intelligence collection, police work, and collaboration with regional and international partners. The Morocco Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for counterterrorism. The BCIJ was established in 2015 as a central institution with the goal of bolstering security governance nationwide within a legal and transparent framework. Reporting to the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), the BCIJ operates under the supervision of the public prosecutor of the Court of Appeals. Penal Procedure code grants DGST agents the rank of judicial police officers, allowing them to conduct investigations, question suspects, and make arrests. The new Penal Procedure code also grants DGST officers the recourse to do electronic tracking and telephone surveillance upon receiving written consent from the Court of Appeals or a judge. The government has publicly committed itself not to use the struggle against terrorism to deprive individuals of their rights. It has emphasized adherence to human rights standards and the increased transparency of law enforcement procedures as part of its approach.

The General Directorate for National Security (DGSN) is the body primarily responsible for handling border inspections at established ports of entry such as Casablanca's Mohammed V Airport, where most border crossings occur. Law enforcement officials and private carriers work regularly with the United States to detect and deter individuals attempting to transit illegally. Moroccan government authorities worked directly with U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Regional Carrier Liaison Group and the DHS Homeland Security Investigations Attaché office at the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca to address watchlisted or mala fide travelers. Moroccan government airport authorities have excellent capabilities in detecting fraudulent documents but lacked biometric screening capabilities.

Morocco continued to participate in the Department of State's Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program, which provided the DGSN and the Royal Gendarmerie with training in investigating terrorist incidents, post-blast investigations, cyber forensics, crime scene forensics, critical incident management, and executive leadership. Morocco and the United States continued implementing an ATA trilateral agreement to partner in the development of counterterrorism capacity and cooperation in the Maghreb and Sahel regions, and worked together to train law enforcement from a Sahelian partner country in Critical Incident Management skills.

Morocco also continued to partner with the United States to improve the police criminal investigation process through the development and implementation of chain of custody and evidence management procedures; forensic evidence collection and analysis, including DNA; and mentoring and training. Morocco participated in Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and Department of Justice programs to improve technical investigative training for police and prosecutors. DGSN, Moroccan Customs, and the Royal Gendarmerie were active partners and participants in DHS-sponsored training events on border security, financial investigation, and counter-proliferation topics. Finally, Moroccan government officials participated in several U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation-led courses to improve capacity in intelligence analysis, facial recognition, and leadership and management.

Morocco's counterterrorism efforts and cooperation with international partners led to numerous disruptions of alleged terrorist cells and prosecutions of associated individuals, including these cases:

• On March 22, the BCIJ announced it had dismantled a cell of 13 members who pledged allegiance to ISIL and were plotting to conduct attacks against Moroccan security forces, steal their arms, and use them in their operations. The BCIJ also seized firearms and a large amount of ammunition. The cell operated in multiple cities, including Tangier, Marrakech, and Laayoune.

• On May 19, the BCIJ dismantled a 10-member terrorist network involved in the recruitment of Moroccan fighters for ISIL through the creation of sleeper cells. BCIJ added that the group was receiving financial and logistical support from ISIL leaders and included experts in making explosives.

• On June 3, the BCIJ dismantled a terrorist cell composed of nine members operating in various cities, including Casablanca. The cell contained an alleged former ISIL member who was recruiting fighters for Iraq and Syria.

• On July 9, the BCIJ dismantled an eight-member terrorist cell involved in the recruitment and sending of Moroccan fighters to Syria and Iraq through agents in Turkey. Cell members pledged allegiance to ISIL and operated in Casablanca, Tangier, and Salé.

• In December, the BCIJ dismantled a nine-member cell, which it labeled the most dangerous ISIL-affiliated group arrested up until then. According to local media, the cell was close to carrying out a series of synchronized bombings in various cities with plans to acquire security forces' weapons and to kidnap prominent personalities.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Morocco is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style regional body. Its financial intelligence unit, the Unit de Traitemant du Renseignement Financier (UTRF), is a member of the Egmont Group. Morocco continued to make progress in the counterterrorism finance domain in 2015. At the end of 2014, the parliament voted to support the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure, and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism.

Operationally, the human resource and logistical capacities of the UTRF have increased. During 2014, when the most recent data was available, UTRF received 305 suspicious transaction reports of suspected money laundering violations from Moroccan financial institutions and four were related to terrorism financing. The UTRF has signed memoranda of understanding facilitating information exchange with regional FIUs. The UTRF is also working to update current legislation to better implement UNSCR 1373 and the UN 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qa'ida sanctions regime. A procedure for these cases already exists, but this update will institute a formal mechanism. Finally, in alignment with the 2012 FATF Recommendations, the UTRF is preparing a national risk assessment intended to identify threats and vulnerabilities facing Morocco regarding money laundering and terrorism financing in order to plan and execute more effective counter measures.

Moroccan officials are having success in detecting terrorism financing. In November, a joint BNPJ and BCIJ operation arrested two Turkish nationals and a Moroccan who were involved in diverting national telephone operator's communication lines to sell stolen services to raise funds for ISIL. The group had ties with ISIL operational leaders and intended to fund ISIL activities and facilitate the return of foreign terrorist fighters to Europe.

For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume II, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2014/vol2/index.htm.

Countering Violent Extremism: Morocco has a comprehensive strategy for countering violent extremism that prioritizes economic and human development goals in addition to tight control of the religious sphere and messaging. Morocco has accelerated its rollout of education and employment initiatives for youth – the population identified as most vulnerable to radicalization and recruitment to violence – and has also expanded the legal rights and political and social empowerment of women. To counter what the government perceives as the dangerous importation of violent Islamist extremist ideologies, Morocco has developed a national strategy to affirm and further institutionalize Morocco's widespread adherence to the Maliki-Ashari school of Sunni Islam.

In the past decade, Morocco has focused on upgrading mosques, promoting the teaching of relatively moderate Islam, and strengthening the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (MEIA). The MEIA has developed an educational curriculum for Morocco's nearly 50,000 imams in its version of relatively moderate Sunni Islam. The MEIA-affiliated Mohammedan League of Ulema produces scholarly research on the nation's Islamic values, ensures conformity in educational curricula, and conducts outreach to youth on religious and social topics. To counter the radicalization of Moroccans living abroad, the Moroccan Council of Ulema for Europe and the Minister Delegate for Moroccans Living Abroad also undertook similar programs to promote religious moderation in Moroccan expatriate communities in Europe. Throughout 2015, Morocco expanded its regional counter-radicalization efforts to include training imams from France, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

The Department of State has supported the Moroccan Penitentiary Administration's efforts to reform and modernize the management of its prison system, including increased focus on rehabilitation and successful reintegration into civilian life upon completion of a prisoner's sentence. The Department of State has assisted the Penitentiary Administration in creating and implementing a prisoner classification tool to ensure inmates are living within the lowest security environment required based on the threat they represent. This helps keep violent extremists segregated from the mainstream prison population, limiting their ability to influence and recruit other inmates. The improved prison management, rehabilitation efforts, and segregation of violent extremist inmates all serve to deter radicalization and recruitment of inmates. USAID's Favorable Opportunities to Reinforce Self-Advancement in Today's Youth project addressed youth marginalization in areas known for recruitment by extremist organizations, helping them stay in school, develop skills, and become active in the community.

International and Regional Cooperation: Morocco is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and a member of the Global Initiative to Counter Nuclear Terrorism. In 2015, Morocco continued its leadership role in the GCTF, serving as co-chair with the Netherlands of the Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group. In April, Morocco hosted the GCTF-inspired Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund board meeting to address countering violent extremism goals. Under the auspices of the GCTF, Morocco and the United States co-lead the Border Security Initiative. In July, Morocco hosted the inaugural conference of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre-GCTF Border Security Initiative in Morocco. Morocco is a founding member of the GCTF-inspired Malta-based International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, and served on its governing board. The 30 members of the GCTF also agreed that Morocco would assume the GCTF co-chair role from Turkey in April 2016.

Morocco contributes air forces to the counter-ISIL campaign in Syria and Iraq. Morocco trains forces from friendly nations such as Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mali. As a major non-NATO ally and a Mediterranean Dialogue (5+5) partner in the EU's Barcelona Process, Morocco participates in the 5+5 Defense Initiative, which brings together five European and five North African countries to address security issues in the Mediterranean. Morocco participated in multilateral training exercises such as the maritime-focused PHOENIX EXPRESS and the FLINTLOCK regional security operations exercises, and hosts the annual AFRICAN LION regional exercise as well as its own MAGHREB MANTLET disaster response exercise. These engagements have enhanced border security and improved capabilities to counter illicit traffic and terrorism.

Both Morocco and Algeria participate in 5+5, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, and the GCTF; however, political disagreement over the status of Western Sahara remained an impediment to bilateral and regional counterterrorism cooperation in 2015.