ROYAL PAGENTRY AND PARTIES IN MOROCCO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000705940002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 6, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/02 :CIA-RDP90-009658000705940002-8
ARTICLE.~t=rf::tc~ NEW YORK TIMES
ON PAGE ~ 6 March 1986
Royal Pageantry and Parties
in Morocco
Spell b Tlr !Nw Yak Tlmr
RRAKESH, Morocco,
March 5 -King Hassan
II, celebrating the 25th
annivetBary of his rule,
won a flawing white robe with the
hood folded back on his head as he
rode ip a gold satin saddle atop a
. bladt Arabian stallion. A footman
walked briskly at his side carrying a
tall purple umbrella to shade the
King. [laugh there was little sun in
w~iztt ~acour h and of his parapeted
ottidalros~digrrit~arle~,4 andf ribal chie~is
bowed before the advancing figure
and chanted, "Allah give long life to
the King." From behind rope barri-
caries, thousands of women in colorful
Arab and Berber costumes held sam-
ples of their regional wear high on
sticks like scarecrows and trilled in a
high, piercing tone.
"What a spectacle," said Chessy
' Rayner at the Ceremony of Alle-
giance Tuesday. "I love it. I love the
way it's so big, so orderly. The Rock-
etteshavenothing on these people."
Mrs. Rayner was one of 15 socially
prominent New Yorkers and Holly-
woodpersonalities invited to the cere-
monies Monday and Tuesday cele-
brating the anniversary of the 56-
year-0ld King. They were invited by
Gray & Company, a Washington pub-
lic-relations and lobbying concern, to
attract social attention to what was
mostly a diplomatic event. One other
head of state, King Juan Carlos of
Spain, was present.
ernon r. e e e a e
1 uL
,~g~y_ and David R .kef 11 The
e ort was desiened to c~w ,4me`r.
ice's improved relations with Moro
Co. loll a coo .o a terse
wa a~ u~C lace MOnQ$ ,
Morocco es on e t rates
for military and economic aid that
this Y~ totals 1112 million. But the
ties go much deeper in this moat
Western of Arab countries. Morocco
was the first nation to recdgntze the
United States when it was a fledgling.
Representative Stephen J. Solarz,
Democrat of Brooklyn, introduced a
bill last week on Morocco's behalf to
find land iA Washington where a com-
memorative monument can be
erected next year.
For the tttwifidal guests, It began
as as expenses-paid lark organized in
~ust two weeks. Mary McFadden, the
ashion designer. had been asked by
Gray represemadves to p~p>~
the New Yort grwp
the wife of the fashion designer Jena
Louts, organized the Los Angeles con.
tlugent.
Many were hesitant. "All of our
P are organized for the next
three ttwnths, You know," said Mica
Fa'tegua, an iutea'loz decorating part-
ner o! Mrs. Rayner. Mrs. Ertegun
and her husband, Ahmet Ertegun,
head of Atlantic Records, were
amatg the ttraffidal omtirtgent.
The trip turned out to be a rare
glimpea into what often seemed a
ftairy-tale medieval kingdom.
Then was the exotic: a harem. The
's wife, Calla Califs, who )s not
call the queen, and her two daugh-
ters. Princesses Hams Asnaa and
Calla Harlem, hosted a tea for Z50
guests, all women. with the King and
the harm in the palace.
Ot the harm, which comprises
about a dozen concubines, Miss Ma
Fadden said, "You cwuld tell who
they wen by their three-dimensional
hair styles coifted in a 1l160's style by
Alexandre, who is flown from Paris.'
The women are chosen as adoles-
cent beauties, then cloistered. How-
ever, Hassan, unlike his father, Mo-
hammed V, is said only to have tea
with them about once a month, until
the palace arranges a marriage and
provides a handsome royal dowry
when they are in their early Zo's.
After meeting the King at the tea,
Pat York, wife of the actor Midtael
York, said: "He has a very strong,
powerful presence, with eagle eyes."
"It was kind of a Cory and grand at-
mosphere at the same time," she
added.
The King was not the only Moroc.
can with panache. As Mr, and Mrs.
Louis were speaking with Assia
Alaoui, wife of Minister of State Mou-
lay Ahmet Alaoui, at a ieceptian
hosted by the American Embassy at
the posh Mamounia Hotel, I1~1o-
hammed Benaissa, the Minister of
Culture, approached Mrs. Alaoul and
said, "I believe in the trinity -one
kiss on the hand and two on the
cheeks."
The harem was hardly represento-
five of modern Moroccan women,
Mrs. Alaoui is a law professor.
Splendor was evident at the palace,
with its many hidden courtyards.
fountaitts and lemon trees. The Kitts
has nine other palaces and Wllas.
There was also adventure. Miss
McFadden, an old AMca haM, ca-
vorted with the snake dtarmets in a
plaza in Marrakesh and competed
with a belly dancer, pertormins her
own African dances, at a private dirt-
rear. "It's the beat of the drums," she
said
Ths actor' Robert Stadt, accompa-
nied by his wife. Rosmarie, and Dr.
Staley Frilaek, aooompanl~ m- the
actress Barbara Eden. provided
much of the humor. Ettplaining why
kaftans were a favorite purchase of
the gawp in visits to the souk - mar-
ketplaoe - Mr. Staclt said. "They are
good Ctuistmas sifts to hide the fat."
Then was reason to worry after the
many feasts o! couscous, Moroccan
stews, whole tvtisted lambs and rich
Sweets. But Jerry Zipkin, a favorite
escort of Nancy Reagan, was not to be
outdone. Referring to the gracious at-
tentiveness of Ambassador Thomas
Nassif, Mr. Zipkin said, "I asked for
pistad>io lee creaan and got it."
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/02 :CIA-RDP90-009658000705940002-8