The US State Department highlights Morocco’s strategy in the field of combating terrorism and extremism✍️👇👇👇

The US State Department highlights Morocco’s strategy in the field of combating terrorism and extremism✍️👇👇👇

The US State Department highlighted Morocco's comprehensive strategy in the field of combating terrorism and violent extremism, noting the Kingdom's commitment to cooperation at the regional and international levels in order to confront this scourge and its extremist ideologies.

The annual report on terrorism in the world, issued by US diplomacy on Thursday, stated: “The United States and Morocco have a long history of strong cooperation in the field of combating terrorism. The Moroccan government has continued its comprehensive strategy that includes security vigilance measures, regional and international cooperation, and anti-extremism policies.”

The US State Department recorded, in this report, that the efforts made within the framework of this comprehensive strategy, which gives “priority to economic and human development, as well as combating extremism,” continued during the year 2023 to “reduce the threat of terrorism.”

The report stated that during the past year, Moroccan security forces, under the coordination of the Ministry of Interior, were able to arrest at least 56 people, 40 of whom were active individually, while 16 were linked to six different terrorist cells.

The same source highlighted that “the Moroccan security forces benefited from the collection of available intelligence information, from police work, and from cooperation with international partners, to carry out counter-terrorism operations,” reviewing in this regard the role of the Central Office for Judicial Investigations of the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, which works under the supervision of Public Prosecution.

The report touched on cooperation between Washington and Rabat in this field, reviewing the participation of the Moroccan security forces in a group of programs sponsored by the United States, in order to enhance technical and investigation-related capabilities, especially in the field of financial investigations, intelligence analysis, forensic analysis, and air security. and cybersecurity.

On the other hand, the US State Department report noted that “border security remains an absolute priority for the Moroccan authorities,” adding that Moroccan airport authorities “have excellent capabilities in detecting forged documents.”

With regard to combating terrorist financing, the document stated that Morocco is a member of the Financial Action Task Force for the Middle East and North Africa, adding that the National Financial Information Authority is a member of the International Forum for Financial Information Units (Egmont).

In this context, the report highlighted that the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has developed an educational program directed at nearly 50,000 imams as well as for the benefit of female religious guides.

He added that the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Men and Morchidis in Rabat also ensures the training of imams who come mainly from West Africa.

In turn, the same source adds, “The Muhammadiyah Association of Scholars works to confront extremism that leads to violence by conducting university research, reviewing educational curricula, and organizing awareness-raising activities for young people on religious and social topics.”

Since 2017, about 300 inmates in prison institutions have benefited from the “Reconciliation” program, which is supervised by the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, in cooperation with ministerial sectors.