Morocco Ups Terror Alert To Highest Level

(AP)  Morocco raised its terror alert to its highest level Friday, citing a "serious threat of a terrorist act" and ordering stepped-up security nationwide, the Interior Ministry said.

The North African nation's top police, intelligence and security officials met Friday to discuss terror threats, and decided to raise the alert level to "maximum," the state news agency MAP said, citing a ministry statement.

The "maximum" alert level "indicates a serious threat of a terrorist act and demands extreme mobilization by the bodies concerned," the statement said, according to MAP.

No details about the threat were reported. A security official confirmed to The Associated Press that the meeting took place and the alert level was raised, but would give no other details because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy called off a trip to Morocco scheduled for next week. The trip was put off at the request of Moroccan authorities "for scheduling reasons," Sarkozy spokesman David Martinon said Friday. No mention was made of security risks.

Moroccan authorities last raised security alert levels in April after suicide bombings in Casablanca and larger suicide attacks in neighboring Algeria. Authorities also raised security alert levels in February.

This time, Interior Minister Mohamed Benaissa, citing "viable intelligence" about terrorist threats, urged security services to heighten their vigilance, MAP said.

The minister also announced a long-term plan for boosting anti-terrorist agencies and the number of personnel.

Suicide bombings in 2003 in Casablanca killed 45 people and stunned this relatively moderate Muslim country, a popular vacation spot. Since then, Moroccan authorities have cracked down on suspected terrorist activity, making regular arrests.

In March, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Casablanca cyber cafe, and investigators later uncovered an alleged plot targeting tourist sites across Morocco. Police later cornered four suspects, shooting one dead and prompting the other three to blow themselves up to avoid capture. The blasts killed a policeman and injured 21 other people.

The government has downplayed potential links to international terrorist networks, but security analysts place the recent Casablanca violence within a wave of resurgent Islamic extremism in North Africa.

[novastudent0]

I appreciate the comment but I fail to see the relevance of 9/11 as an example. The plotters in the 9/11 attacks were for the most part well educated and executed a plan that spanned years and thousands of dollars in funding. The background of the people caught in Morocco bares no resemblance to the 9/11 attackers. And to reduce the success of 9/11 to luck is also a misnomer. The chances of there being air marshals on four random flights on any given day in the us today is low, not to mention what it was 6 years ago. The fact of the matter is the 9/11 plotters knew how the US government operated and used that against them and us.
Another reason for my previous analysis was because all the evidence of the attempts made earlier this year in Morocco point to the end result being hurried because Moroccan authorities were closing in on the conspirators. One man even blew himself up in a cafi because he was not allowed to access an extremist web page by the cafi%u2019s owner. This certainly does not show the same composer that the 9/11 attackers showed.

[mercer_rd]

mmmm'mmmmmm tell ya what.

[SIDNEYWILLIAMSMD]

NovastudentO: Do not be sure that poor planning is always the reason plots fail. Had an air marshal been on the ill fated flights on 9/11 everyone would have down played the incident as poorly planned. Sometimes "luck" plays in favor the terrorist, and sometimes in favor of the would be victim. The terrorist only have to score once, and the defensive team can only be wrong once for a catastophe to happen. Good luck.

[novastudent0]

I am an American residing in Morocco. Certainly the raised threat level reflects some intelligence that is worrisome. However, lets be careful not to sensationalize what has happened this weekend, or in the last few months. The recent Casablanca plot was uncovered and the plot was stopped before any real damage was caused. This shows one of two things. That the attacks were poorly planned, suggesting that this is not linked to a larger more sophisticated terror network. Or the Moroccan government has good sources within the active network and is doing a good job protecting the country.
In either case lets not misuse terror analysis to create panic. %u201C%u2026 security analysts place the recent Casablanca violence within a wave of resurgent Islamic extremism in North Africa.%u201D Can someone explain to me what that means exactly. Clearly the people who were involved in the attack were Islamic extremists. And yes they do reside in North Africa, last time I checked that%u2019s where Morocco is. However, this is only indicative of social realities in Morocco. Including an ever larger gap between rich and poor, not that Morocco is any more or less connected to global terror networks then it has been previously. I think the better analysis would be to say that the social situation in Morocco has lead to poorly funded and poorly planned copy cat attacks, not a larger connection to outside organizations.

[prinzowhales]

What a scary picture! Looks like another throne-squatting reprobate is looking to justify a crack down on his subjects and bag some of those Police World funds from the Decider.

[king77shaw]

keep pushing the terror button.. fear is profitable, always has been

[ajmarine1]

IOWEIGN,

You once asked me if I was in "Amphibs," I was a Crew Chief on a LVTP5.

[ioweign]

doctorwho4 at 09:48 PM : Jul 06, 2007 wrote:

Sort of a Purification of the true faith or something like that. No man is safe with idiots like that who use Allah as the excuse to kill...kind of reminds me of the Spanish Inquisition or Salem Witch hunts when Christians went whacko. Christians are past that.

No they are not - just look at some of the so called Christians in the United States - Robertson is nut case!

[SIDNEYWILLIAMSMD]

Yes, agree with previous comment. They are not content and have a blood lust even for other of their own faith. Sort of a Purification of the true faith or something like that. No man is safe with idiots like that who use Allah as the excuse to kill...kind of reminds me of the Spanish Inquisition or Salem Witch hunts when Christians went whacko. Christians are past that. The islamofascists are doomed in their crazy idea of instituting a world wide or even regional Caliphate. Republics are much more stable forms of governments, and if you can have a democracy within the Republic so much the better. The Republic in theory should protect the minorities from persecution by the majority. Let freedom ring in Morocco. Put down the Islamofascists hard. These are the guys who killed Sadat and probably murdered Yassar Arafat. The rule of law must be maintained in North Africa, and around the world. Good Luck.

[telecom_1]

We are fighting Islamic religious militants that want to kill, steal and destroy. Thay are decieved into thinking that wickedness and evil is good, that god likes filthy hearted mass murder of bystanders. they are brainwashed as we like to put it, decieved to the point of spiritual blindess almost beyond help.