Morocco had to water down a resolution by the Non-Aligned Movement which showered praise on Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and contained “vestigial language” condemning unilateral sanctions on Zimbabwe.
The three-page resolution was introduced by Angola and praised Mugabe and South African President Thabo Mbeki but Morocco reshaped the document and reduced it to half a page.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08RABAT718, NAM MINISTERIAL: SNOOZING DINOSAUR MUTTERS IN ITS
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|
Reference ID |
Created |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHRB #0718/01 2171105
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 041105Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8930
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0417
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 4864
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0028
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 1220
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3656
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 6031
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3794
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 5089
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0250
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 9697
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 4238
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0846
C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000718
SIPDIS
NOFORN
STATE FOR IO AND NEA/MAG
STATE PLS REPEAT TO NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT COLLECTIVE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2028
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP WI ZI AG ZP ZR MO
SUBJECT: NAM MINISTERIAL: SNOOZING DINOSAUR MUTTERS IN ITS
SLEEP
Classified By: Acting PolCouns David Brownstein for Reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)
——-
Summary
——-
¶1. (C/NF) Moroccan MFA Chief of Staff Nasser Bourita
(strictly protect) said that Iran “did not get most of what
it wanted” on the issue of its nuclear and missile programs
during the recent Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial in
Tehran. He expressed happiness with the more
Morocco-friendly statement on Western Sahara that came out of
the meeting. On Zimbabwe, Bourita explained that Morocco led
the charge to pare an unfocused and lengthy resolution down
to a manageable and more balanced half-page document.
Bourita described the NAM overall as a napping dinosaur and
said the meeting was poorly attended. He complained that the
organization has been “hijacked by radical actors” and now
serves as a forum for rhetoric of a bygone era rather than
constructive action. He noted that the full final conference
statement contains language critical of the U.S. on several
issues and advised the USG to engage the NAM on more than
just Iran. End Summary.
————————————-
Iran Did Not Get Everything It Wanted
————————————-
¶2. (C/NF) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Chief of Staff
Nasser Bourita (strictly protect) told PolOff on August 1
that, despite hosting the 15th Ministerial Conference of the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran, Iran “did not get most
of what it wanted” regarding its nuclear and missile
programs. The NAM’s final statement on the issue, which
Bourita said was the subject of heated debate, reaffirmed
states’ sovereign right to pursue peaceful nuclear programs,
but firmly endorsed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
oversight of such efforts and encouraged Iran to continue
cooperation with the international body.
¶3. (C/NF) Bourita, who had just returned from the July 27
through 30 meeting, added that Iran had hoped to receive
formal endorsement of its desire to serve as the Gulf
region’s “security spokesman” in discussions with the UN,
U.S. and other international actors on the question of
security guarantees. The Moroccan delegation intensely and
successfully worked the margins of the Ministerial to
discourage support for the motion, arguing that Iran had too
many divergent interests from other Gulf states to make the
proposition viable.
——————————————— —-
Morocco/Algeria: Apparently, We CAN All Get Along
——————————————— —-
¶4. (C/NF) Bourita expressed pleasure at the final statement
on Western Sahara saying that, for the first time, the NAM
did not directly link self-determination to eventual
independence for the territory. It also endorsed all
Security Council Resolutions related to the issue and took
note of developments since 2006. The document contained
language strongly supportive of the UN Secretary General’s
Personal Envoy, which Bourita said was a specific endorsement
of the embattled Peter Van Walsum, and approved of the
negotiation process. Most importantly, he continued, the
statement encouraged the national parties to work with the UN
and “with each other,” which Bourita claimed was a tacit
admission that a solution to the issue was to be found in
improved relations between Morocco and Algeria.
¶5. (C/NF) Bourita described as “surprisingly constructive”
direct discussions with Algeria on the statement’s language,
mediated by NAM Chair Cuba and led, on the Moroccan side, by
Bourita himself. Despite initial attempts by the Algerian
delegation to frame the debate in terms of colonialism, his
counterparts quickly settled into a pragmatic exchange on the
issues. The fact that they agreed on the “precedent-setting”
final wording with little rancor, and that the resolution did
not become a point of contention within the wider meeting,
indicated a degree of acceptance of the Moroccan point of
view, Bourita asserted.
———————————————
Viva Mugabe, Champion of the Oppressed Masses
———————————————
¶6. (C/NF) The initial resolution on Zimbabwe, introduced by
Angola, was three pages long and contained much “Soviet era”
verbiage praising Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and
South African President Thabo Mbeki, Bourita groaned.
Morocco attempted to subtly re-shape the draft and discussion
without openly criticizing the document and goaded other
nations, such as Senegal, into suggesting amendments and
modifications. The final product was reduced to half a page
and was more “balanced and constructive.” It reaffirmed the
July 1 resolution on the dispute adopted by the African Union
at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, and encouraged continuation of
the current talks being held under Southern African
Development Community (SADC) auspices. It also included
“vestigial language” condemning unilateral sanctions on
Zimbabwe that “crawled into the document from the 1970s and
80s,” he scoffed.
—————————————-
A Nice Place for Pictures, Not Much Else
—————————————-
¶7. (C/NF) Bourita said the meeting was poorly attended and,
after opening statements, few foreign ministers sat in on the
proceedings. If it had not been for the importance Morocco
attached to the Sahara resolution, Bourita commented, Foreign
Minister Fassi-Fihri would not have gone. As it was,
Fassi-Fihri had a proxy read his opening statement as he
thought it was “beneath his dignity to speak to an empty
hall.” Debate during the Ministerial was negligible except,
according to Bourita, when Morocco provoked discussion on
Iran and Zimbabwe. Members simply entered reams of
resolutions into the record, which were then incorporated
into conference proceedings unedited and unexamined. “The
Ministerials have become a place to get your picture taken,
and then go home,” he sighed.
——————————————— —-
Sleeping Dinosaur with A Big Body and Small Brain
——————————————— —-
¶8. (C/NF) Bourita described the NAM overall as a sleeping
dinosaur with a big body and small brain. He said it has
been hijacked by “radicals” such as Venezuela, Iran and Cuba,
which use it as a rhetorical soapbox rather than as a venue
for policy coordination. “How can you take an organization
seriously whose last four meetings have been in Caracas,
Havana and Tehran,” he asked. He also complained that
discussion still often centered around “liberation struggle”
questions from the 1970s and 1980s. Bourita suggested that,
ideally, a modernized NAM should be a vehicle for designing
and coordinating “third way” strategies focused on promoting
constructive engagement and dialogue between developing and
developed countries. He said a secretariat was necessary to
help it effectively address technical issues such as Iran’s
arms program, but countries that could afford to fund a
permanent staff, such as the Gulf states, are disengaged from
the Movement. Unless moderate members like Morocco and
others assume responsibility for pushing change, the NAM will
“remain a joke.” In Tehran, he added, the NAM dinosaur just
“talked in its sleep” but did not accomplish much.
————————————-
Engage the NAM on More than just Iran
————————————-
¶9. (C/NF) Bourita chided the USG for “not having come to
Morocco sooner” regarding engagement with the NAM. He said
that the full final conference statement contains language
critical of the U.S. on several issues not related to Iran,
and that a more comprehensive approach should be undertaken.
At the same time, he made clear that he did not think the NAM
warranted a great deal of USG time and effort, except insofar
as to encourage centrist members to take a more active and
moderating role. As part of Morocco’s activities in this
regard, Bourita said that FM Fassi-Fihri delivered a
“strongly worded” letter from King Mohammed VI to Iranian
President Ahmedinejad on the need for religious, political
and military temperance in the volatile Gulf region. He
expressed hope for a change in the Movement’s tone and
direction when Egypt takes over the Chairmanship in 2009, and
said that Rabat intended to discuss some its concerns with
Cairo.
——-
Comment
——-
¶10. (C/NF) Bourita’s happiness at having won symbolic
victories on Iran, Western Sahara and Zimbabwe was palpable.
Despite what he described as the NAM’s current
ineffectiveness, he appeared to view the body as a vehicle
through which Morocco could demonstrate its ability and
willingness to serve as an effective behind-the-scenes policy
shaper and moderate actor. His characterization of the NAM
as having been hijacked by radical actors is somewhat akin to
describing the Mafia as being infiltrated by criminals, but
he appears to be committed to moving the NAM towards a more
practical and relevant role. He shied away from
characterizing his positive experiences with the Algerian
delegation as a deliberately positive signal from Algiers,
but expressed hope for continued progress. Bourita provided
PolOff with copies of key NAM statements, which have been
scanned and emailed to NEA/MAG. End Comment.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat’s Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Riley
(28 VIEWS)
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