| “The May 16 Casablanca
terrorist bombing attacks were not (as many Moroccans
claim) Morocco’s 9/11, but rather were a continuation
of your (America’s) September 11.”
As former American Ambassador to Morocco Edward
Gabriel recounted this significant insight of a
close Moroccan friend, it was plain that he shared
this assessment of what Morocco stands for and how
the nation views its relationship with the United
States. Ambassador Gabriel’s knowledge of Morocco
and its people was hard-earned from his four years
of service as American’s principal representative
to the Kingdom.
Ambassador Gabriel stressed the long history of Moroccan-American
friendship, and pointed out that the initial goal
of the 18th century Moroccan rulers was to form a
mutually supportive military alliance with the revolting
American colonists. In time, the relationship blossomed
instead into a true friendship that has withstood
the test of time, with shared values the binding thread
that has bound both nations together to the present
day. The Alaoui dynasty, of which His Majesty King
Mohammed VI is the latest ruler, is, in fact, the
third longest dynasty in the world.
The Moroccan people have had a very strong and warm
relationship with the American people ever since those
first encounters with the Revolutionary War-era Americans.
Gabriel provided a bit more of this shared history,
recounting that President Franklin Roosevelt had encouraged
His Majesty (HM) King Mohammed V to demand independence
from France. He noted that Moroccans still remember
this and remain steadfast in their gratitude.
According to Gabriel, the Free Trade Agreement will
be a significant aid to His Majesty King Mohammed
VI’s modernization plans. His Majesty has stated
clearly that the development of the Moroccan economy
can only take place through the institution of needed
reforms, including transparency in government and
finance and ridding the judicial system of corruption.
These reforms will in turn make Morocco more attractive
for direct international investment. Once the FTA
is in place, Morocco will be far better equipped to
compete in the global economy. In addition, Gabriel
noted, His Majesty’s appointment of Driss Jettou
as Prime Minister in October 2002 was a signal that
these economic reforms must be addressed now. Since
his appointment, the Prime Minister remains focused
on creating jobs as opposed to creating taxes.
The Free Trade Agreement in the short- to mid-term
will provide “opportunities for American companies
to add value to their products in Morocco for shipping
to Europe as well as other parts of the world.”
Gabriel was keen to stress that the Moroccan people
are extremely hard-working, and that their entrepreneurial
spirit and free-market business sense make them ideal
partners for Americans wishing to do business in Morocco.
While some within the European Union, especially France,
which still views the Kingdom as an integral part
of its sphere of influence, have criticized Morocco
for negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the United
States, Gabriel pointed out that the EU has a free
trade agreement with Mexico, even though Mexico already
is a signatory to NAFTA, along with the United States
and Canada, thus calling into question the ‘compelling
nature’ of the European assertion.
Gabriel emphasized that a Free Trade Agreement with
the United States is critical to helping Morocco become
a “stable, democratic and prosperous” nation.
He went on to say that Morocco is an anchor for American
values and interests in the Middle East/North Africa
region and would serve as an ideal model to Arab Muslim
countries trying to make the transition from 19th
century autocratic rule to real political freedoms
enshrined within a democratic framework worthy of
21st century sensibilities. Returning to his initial
theme of the significance of the May 16 terrorist
assault on Casablanca, Gabriel stated that this series
of attacks “was an attack on the same values
we share (and that Morocco) is a special model of
religious tolerance and Arab identity in the Middle
East.”
In closing, Ambassador Gabriel left no doubt as to
his belief that Morocco will continue to stand up
to its commitments to provide better lives for its
people and to fight alongside the United States and
other freedom-loving nations against the common enemy
of international Islamist terror. |
