The Moroccan regime’s DC lobbyist and Western Sahara: Make a mountain out of a molehill
by Khalil Asmar
Starting from US/Morocco joint statement on November 22nd, 2013 that comprised a whole paragraph on Western Sahara till the 2014 appropriation bill signed into law by president Obama on January 17th and passed by congress, Rabat regime’s lobbyist doesn’t seem to swallow the hard blows every time the US administration stresses on international legality on the decades long procrastinated struggle between Morocco and Western Sahara republic’s sole representative the Polisario Front, and desperately endeavoring to search for the slightest hint to market fancy stories fearing the disappointment of a generous regime ready to pay for any comforting lies.
First, in the joint statement, the US administration considered Morocco plan of autonomy an option among others to resolve the Western Sahara issue and not the only valid and viable solution as channeled by Morocco corrupt US-based lobbyist and state propaganda media and press. The paragraph in the joint statement tells itself and no further comments are needed “The President pledged to continue to support efforts to find a peaceful, sustainable, mutually agreed-upon solution to the Western Sahara question.
U.S. policy toward the Western Sahara has remained consistent for many years. The United States has made clear that Morocco’s autonomy plan is serious, realistic, and credible, and that it represents a potential approach that could satisfy the aspirations of the people in the Western Sahara to run their own affairs in peace and dignity. We continue to support the negotiations carried out by the United Nations, including the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Ambassador Christopher Ross, and urge the parties to work toward a resolution.
The two leaders affirmed their shared commitment to the improvement of the lives of the people of the Western Sahara and agreed to work together to continue to protect and promote human rights in the territory” http://tinyurl.com/nody4ya Second, Morocco lobbyist strives to hail the 2014 appropriation bill and give it more than it can bear by claiming that “President Obama signed into law the 2014 Appropriation Bill passed by Congress which includes for the first time language mandating that U.S. assistance designated for Morocco be used in the Western Sahara..." http://tinyurl.com/ph9wnnb .
This exposed allegation is simply untrue because in 2012 congress approved this: H.R. 2055 (112th): Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (g)Morocco Prior to the obligation of funds appropriated by this Act under the heading Foreign Military Financing Program for assistance for Morocco, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations on steps being taken by the Government of Morocco to— (1)respect the right of individuals to peacefully express their opinions regarding the status and future of the Western Sahara and to document violations of human rights; and (2)provide unimpeded access to human rights organizations, journalists, and representatives of foreign governments to the Western Sahara.
On the other hand, US Aid to Morocco comes with conditions attached to it. It will be under the auspice of the Millennium Challenge Corporation whose “MCC’s Board of Directors selects country partners based on performance on indicators in three categories (1 Ruling Justly, 2 Investing in People, and 3 Encouraging Economic Freedom) and applies “hard hurdles”, indicators that must be passed to meet the eligibility criteria, in the areas of both democratic governance and control of corruption.." http://www.mcc.gov/documents/reports/report-fy2014-cbj.pdf
To such criteria, Morocco is far from being in conformity with the required standards of neither the democratic governance nor the control of corruption and which all make Morocco to be considered as a failed state, ranked 93 in the 2013 failed states index http://democracyranking.org/wordpress/?page_id=738 http://ffp.statesindex.org/rankings-2013-sortable http://ffp.statesindex.org/rankings-2013-sortable
Clearly enough, the Rabat regime’s DC lobbyist has failed to convince the American decision maker to stand by Morocco occupation, and thus resort to fabricate imaginary arguments clutching on every given straw to delude a drowning Moroccan regime ready to pay its devil’s advocates at any cost. Yet, to adhere to Morocco wishes, it should take the US administration to reject not only the fundamental principles of international law that prohibit territorial expansion by force but also the fundamental pillars founder of the American nation.
More problematically, Morocco regime is pursuing its systematic grave human rights abuses in the occupied territories, besides an ongoing campaign of stealing and plundering of Western Sahara vast resources that are worth billions of dollars while the Sahrawi people remain impoverished in their own land and divided by shameful wall surrounded by millions of landmines.
