ROYAL AUDIENCE FOR CODEL KASTEN: U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS IN THE WAKE OF THE OUJDA ACCORD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801110030-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: December 25, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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TOR: 251105Z DEC 84
00 RUEAIIB
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DE RUFHRA #1213/01 3501245
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FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7177
BT
S E C R E T RABAT 11213
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OREP, PRF.. MR. US
SUBJECT: R '1~l r U.S.-MOROCCAN
RELATIONS HE WAKE OF T1
REF: RABAT 11041
2. SENATOR KASTEN, ACCOMPANIED BY CHARGE AND STAFFDEL
MEMBERS BOND AND COLLINS, HAD AN HOUR-AND-THREE-QUARTER
AUDIENCE WITH KING HASSAN AT THE ROYAL PALACE IN FEZ
DECEMBER 13. ROYAL COUNSELOR REDA GUEDIRA ALSO PAR-
TICIPATED. FOLLOWING OPENING PLEASANTRIES AND SOME
BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE COUP IN MAURITANIA AND MOROCCAN-
ALGERIAN RELATIONS, THE BULK OF THE CONVERSATION TREATED
U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS FOLLOWING MOROCCO'S RAPPROCHE-
MENT WITH LIBYA. THE CONVERSATION WAS FRANK AND DIRECT,
ALTHOUGH FRIENDLY THROUGHOUT. SENATOR KASTEN EFFEC-
TIVELY EXPRESSED CONCERNS BEING VOICED IN THE CONGRESS
ABOUT HOW U.S. INTERESTS MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY THE OUJDA
ACCORD, AND THE KING ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES AND DEFENDED
HIS POSITION IN VIGOROUS LANGUAGE AND STYLE ALONG LINES
WE HAVE BECOME FAMILIAR WITH IN ALL OUR RECENT CONVER-
SATIONS.
3. THE KING BEGAN THIS PART OF THE DISCUSSION BY SAYING
THAT SENATOR KASTEN HAD COME AT A GOOD TIME AND THAT HE
WELCOMED THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO A PROMINENT MEM-
BER OF CONGRESS EXACTLY HOW AND WHY HE, HASSAN, HAS MADE
CERTAIN POLICY DECISIONS. HE DESCRIBED WHAT HE HAD
REGARDED AS MOROCCO'S EXTREME ISOLATION LAST SUMMER AND
WHAT HE HAD SEEN AS BOTH HIS RESPONSIBILITY AND HIS
OPPORTUNITY TO BREAK OUT OF IT. HE SAID THAT AS CHIEF
OF STATE IT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO HIS PEOPLE TO DO
WHAT HE COULD TO DISARM HIS ENEMIES AND THAT IN CON-
CLUDING THE AGREEMENT WITH QADHAFI HE HAD NEUTRALIZED
AND DISARMED ONE REAL OR POTENTIAL ENEMY WITH RESPECT
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TO THE WESTERN SAHARA PROBLEM.
4. THE KING SAID THAT WHILE HE CONTINUES TO PLACE HIGH
VALUE ON HIS RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES, WHICH
ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO MOROCCO AND TO ITS SECURITY POLICY.
AND WHILE HE ESPECIALLY VALUES HIS PERSONAL FRIENDSHIPS
WITH PRESIDENT REAGAN AND OTHER SENIOR AMERICAN LEADERS,
HE IS DISMAYED THAT THE AMERICANS' "OBSESSION" WITH
QADHAFI IS CAUSING THEM TO "ACCUSE ME OF DOING ALL KINDS
OF THINGS THAT I HAVE NEVER DONE." HE THEN LAUNCHED
INTO, AND VIGOROUSLY DENIED, THE ALLEGATION THAT MOROCCO
HAS SUPPLIED LIBYA 40 MOROCCAN PASSPORTS POST-OUJDA,
WHILE DETAILING THE EARLIER THEFT OF 300 MOROCCAN
PASSPORTS AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE WITH AMBASSADOR
REED (REFTEL). AS BEFORE, HE WAS FLAT AND VIGOROUS
IN HIS DENIALS.
5. SENATOR KASTEN WELCOMED THE KING'S MENTION OF THE
PASSPORT EPISODE, SINCE HE SAID HE HAD INTENDED TO RAISE
IT HIMSELF. THE SENATOR NOTED THAT THERE IS INTELLI-
GENCE TO THE EFFECT THAT THE MOROCCANS TRANSFERRED TO
THE LIBYANS THE PASSPORTS IN QUESTION AND THAT THAT
INTELLIGENCE IS, QUITE FRANKLY, BELIEVED BY MANY IN
WASHINGTON. NOTING THAT HE HAS PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED.
ON CAPITOL HILL, STRONGER U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS, THE
SENATOR SAID THAT HE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO DO SO.
HOWEVER, SPEAKING WITH THE SAME CANDOR AND FRIENDSHIP
THAT THE KING HAD MANIFESTED, HE FELT IT NECESSARY TO
TELL THE KING FRANKLY THAT HE AND OTHERS ON CAPITOL
HILL, WHO MIGHT WANT TO WORK FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BUT
WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE TO THEIR ELECTORATES, FELT THEY
MUST CONVEY TO HASSAN DIRECTLY THE CONCERNS BEING
EXPRESSED AMONG CONGRESSMEN WITH REGARD TO THE OUJDA
ACCORD. KASTEN SAID THAT GIVEN CONTINUING DOUBTS ON
THE HILL ABOUT THE ACCORD AND HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT U.S.
INTERESTS, HE THOUGHT IT LIKELY THAT SERIOUS QUESTIONS
WOULD BE RAISED ABOUT FURTHER U.S. ASSISTANCE TO MOROCCO
WHEN THE CONGRESS RETURNS. THUS IT WAS TERRIBLY IMPORT-
ANT TO HAVE THE KIND OF FRANK DISCUSSION THAT HE AND
THE KING WERE CARRYING FORWARD.
6. KASTEN CONTINUED THAT, APART FROM THE PASSPORT ISSUE,
HE AND OTHERS IN WASHINGTON WERE CONCERNED ABOUT AT LEAST
TWO OTHER ISSUES. FIRST, THEY WERE VERY PERTURBED ABOUT
ALLEGATIONS THAT THE KING HAD RETURNED LIBYAN DISSI-
DENTS TO LIBYA AND THAT INDEED SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE BEEN
EXECUTED. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS THE GROWING NUMBER OF
LIBYANS VISITING. AND PERHAPS STAYING IN MOROCCO, PAR-
TICULARLY IN THE CASABLANCA AREA. ON THE LATTER POINT,
KASTEN WONDERED IF THE GROWING LIBYAN PRESENCE MIGHT NOT
CONSTITUTE A THREAT BOTH TO MOROCCO AND TO U.S. INTER-
(RECATEGORIZED EXDIS FM ROGER CHANNEL PER STATE MRN 377833)
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OREP, PREL, MO, US, PTER
SUBJECT: ROYAL AUDIENCE FOR CODEL KASTEN: U.S.-MOROCCAN
7. HASSAN FIRMLY DENIED THAT HE HAD RETURNED DISSIDENTS
TO LIBYA. RECALLING BLUNTLY THAT HIS GOVERNMENT AND THE
USG HAVE CLOSE INTELLIGENCE LINKS, AND THAT IN THE PAST
THEY HAD WORKED TOGETHER ON LIBYAN MATTERS, THE KING
CHARGED THAT IF IN FACT ANY LIBYAN HAD GONE BACK TO
LIBYA AGAINST U.S. DESIRES, IT WAS THE USG'S FALUT.
"IF THERE WAS SOMEONE THAT THE U.S. WANTED TO TAKE OUT
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OF MOROCCO, ALL IT HAD TO DO WAS TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON
TO ME AND ASK." HASSAN CONTINUED THAT LAST FALL,
INDEED, WHEN TWO INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE
SO IDENTIFIED, HE "GAVE PERMISSION AND TOLD MY OFFICIALS
TO CLOSE THEIR EYES." AS REGARDS THE PRESENCE OF
LIBYANS IN MOROCCO, HASSAN BRUSHED THIS ASIDE AS NON-
THREATENING. HE NOTED THAT LIBYANS WERE ALLOWED TO COME
TO MOROCCO WITH VISAS PRIOR TO THE OUJDA ACCORD AND SAID
THAT THAT IS THE SAME SITUATION THAT OBTAINS TODAY.
HE ARGUED AT LENGTH THAT THE GENERAL CLIMATE IN MOROCCO
IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO TERRORIST ACTIVITY AND SAID THAT
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD TERRORIST ACTS, AND HIS DEMONSTRATED
ABILITY TO CONTROL HIS TURF, IS WELL KNOWN TO THE LIBYANS
AND TO OTHER NEIGHBORNING STATES. HE ARGUED THAT LIBYANS
ARE COMING TO MOROCCO PRIMARILY ON HOLIDAY AND TO PURCHASE
LUXURY AND OTHER ITEMS THAT THEY CANNOT OBTAIN IN THEIR
OWN COUNTRY.
8. HASSAN THEN COVERED ADDITIONAL GROUND THAT HE HAS
ALSO GONE OVER WITH OTHER U.S. OFFICIALS. HE SAID THERE
IS NO DANGER OF U.S.-SUPPLIED TECHNOLOGY OR U.S.-SUPPLIED
INTELLIGENCE BEING TRANSFERRED TO LIBYA SINCE HE SIMPLY
WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN. RETURNING TO HIS THEME OF
U.S. "QBSESSION" WITH QADHAFI, THE KING ASKED WITH SOME
ASPERITY WHY IT IS THAT AMERICANS WILL NOT TAKE HIS WORD
FOR IT THAT WHILE HE INTENDS TO TRY TO TAME QADHAFI, THE
LATTER WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO CHANGE HASSAN AND HIS FUNDA-
MENTAL POLICIES. HASSAN CHARACTERIZED HIMSELF AS A MAN
WHOSE "CREDIBILITY IS MY GREATEST TREASURE" AND ARGUED
THAT HE IS NOT LIKELY TO DO ANYTHING TO TARNISH THAT
CREDIBILITY. AS ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WITH OTHERS,
HE ASKED SENATOR KASTEN TO TAKE A MESSAGE TO "MY FRIEND
PRESIDENT REAGAN." THE MESSAGE, WHICH HASSAN ACKNOWLEDGED
TO BE IN THE FORM OF A OUESTION,WAS AS FOLLOWS: "AFTER
ALL I HAVE DONE FOR THE UNITED STATES -- THE ACCESS
AND TRANSIT AGREEMENT, VOA EXPANSION, MILITARY EXERCISE
AND SHIP VISITS -- WHAT TREATY, ALLIANCE, ACCORD OR
UNION HAS THE UNITED STATES OFFERED ME?" HE ANSWERED
HIS OWN QUESTION WITH A SINGLE WORD: "NOTHING."
9. HASSAN ARGUED THAT WHILE POLITICAL LEADERS UNDER-
STANDABLY HAVE TO MAKE TACTICAL SHORT-TERM DECISIONS,
THEY MUST NONETHELESS RAISE THEIR SIGHTS TO TAKE A
LONGER VIEW FOR THE FUTURE. IN THIS REGARD, HE URGED
THE U.S. TO THINK NOT SO MUCH ABOUT QADHAFI, WHO IS
MORTAL, BUT ABOUT LIBYA AND THE GEOGRAPHIC SPACE IT
OCCUPIES. LEADING THE VISITING PARTY TO A GLOBE OF THE
WORLD, THE KING DISCUSSED PLANS FOR A BRIDGE ACROSS THE
STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR AND ULTIMATELY TWIN PIPELINES
COMING FROM LIBYA AND NIGERIA WITH OIL AND GAS FOR
WESTERN EUROPE, THUS FREEING EUROPE OF DEPENDENCE ON
SOVIET ENERGY RESOURCES. "THINK OF THE FUTURE, AND
THINK BROADLY," HE URGED.
10. HASSAN REPEATED HIS FAMILIAR THEME THAT QADHAFI
IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL TERRORISM IN THE WORLD. HE
CHARGED THAT SYRIA WAS BEHIND BOMBINGS OF U.S. INSTALLA-
TIONS IN BEIRUT AND SAID HE BELIEVED SYRIA TO BE BEHIND
THE KUWAITI AIRPLANE HIJACKING AS WELL. HE SAID THAT
HE WAS THUS SURPRISED TO LEARN SOME TIME BACK THAT THE
U.S. WAS PREPARED TO GIVE $300 MILLION (SIC) IN ECONOMIC
ASSISTANCE TO SYRIA. SENATOR KASTEN EXPLAINED THE
BACKGROUND TO OUR EARLIER EXPECTATION OF PROVIDING AID
TO SYRIA, THAT THE ACTUAL FIGUREXTHENXBEIN&XDISCUSSEDX
FIGURES THEN BEING DISCUSSED WERE MUCH LOWER THAN THE
ONE CITED BY HASSAN, AND EXPLAINED HOW HE PERSONALLY HAD
MOVED TO BLOCK THE EXTENSION OF SUCH AID TO SYRIA.
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TRYING TO HAVE THINGS BOTH WAYS WITH LIBYA. ON THE ONE
HAND AMERICA CONDEMNS QADHAFI AND THOSE WHO WOULD DO
BUSINESS WITH HIM. ON THE OTHER, AMERICA HAS BOUGHT HIS
OIL, HAS MANY AMERICAN CITIZENS RESIDING AND WORKING
IN LIBYA, AND A U.S. COMPANY IS DIRECTING LIBYA'S
RECENTLY INAUGURATED MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR SUBTERRANEAN
WATER IRRIGATION PROJECT. HASSAN NOTED THAT MUBARAK
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OREP, PREL, MO. US. PIER
SUBJECT: ROYAL AUDIENCE FOR CODEL KASTEN: U.S.-MOROCCAN
HAD ROUNDLY CRITICIZED THE U.S. ON ALL THESE COUNTS IN
A SPEECH TWO WEEKS AGO. HASSAN WONDERED RHETORICALLY
IF THE U.S. IS NOT, IN FACT, GUILTY OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN
A DOUBLE STANDARD. SENATOR KASTEN SAID HE BASICALLY
AGREED WITH HASSAN, SINCE HE DID NOT THINK AMERICANS
SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN LIBYA IN ANY WAY. (N.B. ROMBERG
STATEMENT URGING AMCITS TO LEAVE LIBYA ARRIVED HERE
DAY FOLLOWING DECEMBER 13 AUDIENCE. EMBASSY WILL PRO-
VIDE IT TO THE KING.)
12. TOWARD THE END OF THE AUDIENCE, SENATOR KASTEN SAID
THAT HE FOUND THIS KIND OF FRANK DISCUSSION BENEFICIAL
BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY CONCERNS IN THE U.S. CONGRESS
AND ELSEWHERE ABOUT MOROCCAN POLICY FOLLOWING THE UNION
ACCORD. HE SAID THAT HE WELCOMED THE KING'S REASSURANCES
WITH RESPECT TO U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS BUT SAID THAT
HE HOPED THE KING WOULD TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DISPEL
DOUBTS IN THE AMERICAN MIND BY TAKING U.S. CONCERNS
SERIOUSLY AND ADDRESSING THEM DIRECTLY. IN THIS REGARD,
THE SENATOR SUGGESTED THAT THE KING MIGHT WANT TO CON-
SIDER ADDRESSING AMERICANS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE MEDIA.
THE KING SAID THAT HE WELCOMED OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO
AND THAT, INDEED, THE PALACE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH CBS.
WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO SEND A FILMING TEAM TO MOROCCO FOR
AN INTERVIEW.
13. IN CLOSING, SENATOR KASTEN SAID THAT HE BELIEVES
IN THE IMPORTANCE OF FIRM U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS AND
THAT HE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WORK TO REINFORCE
THEM. HE ALSO HOPED THAT THE KING AND MOROCCO WOULD DO
THEIR BEST IN THAT SAME DIRECTION. THE KING SAID THAT
HE WISHED SENATOR KASTEN TO TAKE TO EVERYONE IN WASHINGTON
THE MESSAGE THAT MOROCCO HAS MADE A FUNDAMENTAL, IRREVO-
CABLE COMMITMENT TO THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE RELATIONS WITH
THE UNITED STATES AND THAT THAT WILL NOT CHANGE.
14. FINAL NOTE: THE KING EXPRESSED ESPECIALLY WARM
REGARDS FOR AMBASSADOR KIRKPATRICK AND ASKED SENATOR
KASTEN TO CONVEY THEM TO HER. HASSAN SAID THAT HE
THINKS MRS. KIRKPATRICK IS CLEAR-HEADED, HAS A SOPHISTI-
CATED VIEW OF INTERNATIONAL REALITIES, AND HAS A PUNCHY
STYLE THAT HAS DONE A VERY GREAT DEAL TO REFURBISH
AMERICA'S IMAGE IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY UNDER THE REAGAN
ADMINISTRATION. THE KING SAID THAT HE HOPED THAT
AMBASSADOR KIRKPATRICK WOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE THE
ADMINISTRATION IN SOME IMPORTANT CAPACITY. KIRBY
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