This article is unfortunately nothing more than pure propaganda. How can you expect "Kamal Fadel, the Polisario Representative to Australia" of providing neutral facts on the Sahara issue?

To truly understand what the polisario is and how it was created in a different world (cold war: polisario is a che-guevarist movement which still has very strong ties to Cuba), read the following report:

http://www.esisc.org/THE%20POLISARIO%20FRONT.pdf

Months ago I quickly browsed through that report. 81 pages are many pages, but I do not agree with its content, clearly taking sides with the French governments pro-Moroccan interests. The report is a hand to POLISARIO´s throat with comments like: "To achieve its ends –the destabilization of Morocco in the Western Sahara - the
Polisario Front had no hesitation in using the weapon of misinformation" or with titles names like "VIII.6. The Gangrene of Organized Crime"... so I suggest we should not be carried away by the fact that the report is a nice and clean PDF file, lets read it and disqualify it through real facts...

How can the report DARE discredit the UN´s historic and moral role in the matter: "The international community and the UN should have the courage and the lucidity to recognize that the independence solution is not viable and is, in any case, impossible, given the ferocious opposition of one of the parties. They should therefore impel the parties involved to take the path of a negotiated political solution, possibly supervised by the international community."

POLISARIO Ferocious? They, and Algeria are the ones that give the population in the refugee camps of Tindouf the water bottles! Morocco used Napalm and other things 3 decades ago!
just surf http://www.afapredesa.org/english/ to see who is the ferocious party. It is sad to see how reality is "deformed".

Good night and GOOD LUCK!

Fine, that is your opinion, but let me remind you that this report is based on others...

It is based on the France Libertes human rights report. France Libertes who was not long ago one of the fiercest supporters of the polisario front. It is also based on the UNHCR report which reported the same violations.

What point do you not specifically agree with? The kids sent to Cuba? The treatment of Moroccan prisoners? the "Democracy" within the polisario movement?

about Cuba: http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20050920-100459-8338r.htm
Video: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm65h_polisario-bande-de-terroristes

It seems we could have a very long (and probably unproductive) debate about many matters in Western Sahara. I have heard many things, some crazy things, for ie. a Christian group in the US was convinced that the POLISARIO is kidnapping against their own will the over 100,000 refugees that are scraping a living out of the desert.
Going to Cuba is a great experience for a young one whose only other option is to have a miserable economical and educational situation. (I was lucky enough to study in Macquarie University, Sydney. But if I had been a sahrawi with no other choice, Cuba would have been good enough as well).
Now the government of Venezuela is also involved in accepting a very small number of students and paying for their fees (I think they pay). If Australian or American institutions paid for their fees, I am sure they would also go there!

My dear friend and readers, it is simple, it is about having a CHANCE. Bad luck if their host-country´s political system is dictatorial, or socialist. It is thanks to their stay in Cuba, that there are saharawi doctors that can help patients with their many diseases.. I have seen it with my own eyes, and their situation is still very precarious...

Even the Moroccan population is amazed when they see what their government is doing to the sahrawi population. A wall of fog covers the Western Sahara issue and frontiers.
Spanish parlamentarians are constantly denied their entrance to the so-called "occupied zone" (Morocco is controlling over half of Western Sahara). 2 weeks ago a Swedish journalist detained, camara confiscated... why? not a very hard guess...

Hopefully history will prove again and truth will and eventually speak out for itself.

The representative of the polisario mercenaries has a well tuned speech; well designed to cajole the ears of any peace and freedom loving individual. Except that the victims in this sad unnecessary conflict are the tribes held against their wills in Algerian camps under the fierce control of the Polisario first and foremost and the rest of the Moroccan population that sees scarce treasure and effort that could be allocated to its development being funneled to defend its territory. This conflict is a result of a botched decolonization where Spain wanted to get its revenge for being boldly kicked out of the Moroccan South in 1975 and also the outcome of the cold war with Morocco being pro US and Algria being one of the vassals of Soviet Russia.

The best test is to ask the Polisario to let tribes under their yoke decide on where they would like to live and you will see that they will overwhelmingly decide to join Morocco running away from Abdelaziz from Marrakesh and his band of thugs who exile little kids to Cuba for ideological brain washing in order to keep families tied up and sell food aid products destined to their hostages in souks in the Sahel. What a shameful conflict! So many lifes and so much treasure wasted because of a group of oil sponsored thugs.

Morocco proposes a “just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution” to the Western Sahara conflict through autonomy

Morocco’s forthcoming autonomy plan for the Western Sahara is the first real solution proposed in over three decades which could actually bring the long-running conflict to an end. King Mohammed VI has, once again, relied upon the growing “culture of dialogue” in Morocco to find solutions to significant issues by incorporating the views of all segments of Moroccan society. For example, in 2001, King Mohammed VI appointed an advisory committee of religious scholars and women’s rights activists to review Morocco’s Family Code, and in 2004 created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The creation in 2005 of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) further illustrates the willingness of Morocco’s leadership to use dialogue and consensus to find durable solutions to complex social and political issues.

Over the past three decades, numerous UN-led attempts at holding a referendum have failed due to complex voter identification issues. In the process, those most affected by the conflict, the Sahrawi people, have been left without a voice. The Moroccan autonomy proposal is the first real, attainable solution to have been offered by the involved parties which will finally give the Sahrawis a say in their political, economic, social, linguistic and cultural affairs. Through autonomy, Morocco will retain its sovereignty over a region to which it has long historical and cultural ties and the Sahrawi people will be allowed to flourish under a local government system that they will administer.

The Moroccan autonomy proposal will not only bring an end to a three decades old humanitarian crisis, it will also bring political stability to the region and stimulate economic growth, which have suffered during this impasse. With the settlement of the Western Sahara dispute, the countries of the Maghreb will be more able to focus on regional economic development and the fight against Al-Qaeda-sponsored terrorist groups.

For more information on the Western Sahara conflict and Morocco’s initiative to propose “a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution,” as urged by the UN Security Council, please visit www.moroccanamericanpolicy.org

The Saharawis have justice and international law on their side, they have no reason to avoid the truth. Because the Moroccan case lacks justice, is not based on law or UN resolutions, they need to manipulate the truth
Through their human rights abuses of the Saharawis living under Moroccan occupation, I believe Morocco has disqualified itself as an appropriate authority for administering this territory and that it could not be a responsible decision to endorse their autonomy proposal. No country recognises their claim to the territory, yet they speak of their 'sovereignty' over it. Do not be misled. Sovereignty is the very issue at stake in the dispute about Western Sahara and the reason the UN set up a mission to organise a referendum of self-determination.

Part I:

It is really surprising to read some of the comments above, especially those coming seemingly from Moroccans or people who are in favour of Morocco’s position as to the longstanding conflicts in Western Sahara.

It is very surprising and shocking indeed that, in the 21st century, there are still people who have not been able to realise the fact that we, mainly in the west, have long ago left behind many centuries of dark ages in which absolute monarchs ruled by some metaphysical and supposedly divine rights, dominated vast areas and subjected many peoples to their cruel and inherently undemocratic rule.

Our forefathers strove a great deal to bring those dark pages of our history to an end, and thanks to their efforts we now enjoy our freedoms and live in democratic countries where sovereignty is invested in the people and exercised through their democratically elected representatives, not by an absolute monarch that rules, reigns and has rights over everything spiritual and material.

These are fundamental facts of which implications universally some people unfortunately seem unable to comprehend. Any sensible man or woman who genuinely believes in democracy, equality and human dignity will readily understand why the small people of Western Sahara continue to reject to be ruled by the autocratic and absolute monarchy in Morocco.

The fact, which many Moroccans and other like-minded people, do not want to see or talk about, is that Morocco is still ruled by one of the few remaining absolute monarchies in the world. Where in the world do you see a country in which the monarch rules and reigns, and whose poor subjects, including his ministers and senior officials, are under obligation to bow before him and pathetically kiss his hand? Where in the world is questioning the monarchical system is a sacrilegious act that implies death penalty? I know of no other country save Morocco that fits the bill.

Simon Rodriguez

Part II:

It is an unarguable fact that Morocco is still ruled by a feudal system at the helm of which is a monarch that rules on the basis of some highly questionable divine right (exactly as monarchs ruled in middle-age Europe!), and has royal prerogatives to appoint ministers and dismisses them at will. He also can dissolve the ‘parliament’ of his majesty and rule by decrees. Above all, he is accountable to no one!

Morocco is a country where more than 50% of the population is illiterate (of which 70% are women), and where a large part of the young population is unemployed. Many of those youngsters are forced to flee their miserable lives in Morocco and risk their lives sailing to Europe. Morocco is also a country where the dramatically deteriorating social-economic situation of many people has become a fertile ground for radical and home-grown terrorist groups. This is, indeed, the real Morocco that many people seem unable to see and decry.
It will certainly be more productive for these understandably Moroccan nationalists to look inward and try to structurally reform their political system and improve the lives of millions of Moroccans, instead of reproducing the discourses of an autocratic ruling elite, with no regard for the welfare of its own people.

As an outsider with some knowledge in the politics of the region, and mainly someone who believes in and cherishes the values of democracy and human rights, I understand very well and advocate the demand of the people of Western Sahara to live in a free and democratic state. I also understand why they have resisted to be ruled by Morocco, because simply no enlightened and democratic mind in the world can tolerate—let alone allow to be ruled by—an authoritarian and undemocratic regime as the one ruling in Morocco.

Simon Rodriguez

Since the comment section is fastly becoming a "war of words," please allow me to say:

In May of 1973, the Polisario was formed. Many words were spoken about this.

In November of 1975, the Green March was held. Many words were spoken about this.

In March of 1976, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was formed. Many words were spoken about this.

In August of 1978, the Polisario and Mauritania signed their agreements. Many words were spoken about this.

From 1976 until 1991, the Polisario waged a guerrilla warfare. Many words were spoken about this.

In April of 1991, MINURSO was formed. Many words were spoken about this.

In September of 1991, a ceasefire was enacted. Many words were spoken about this.

In May of 1996, the United Nations suspended referendum moves. Many words were spoken about this.

In June of 2001, the Baker Plan was introduced. Many words were spoken about this.

In July of 2003, the United Nations adopted a compromise resolution proposing that Western Sahara become a semi-autonomous region of Morocco for a transition period of five years. Many words were spoken about this.

In June of 2004, James Baker resigned his position and the United Nations process remains deadlocked. Many words were spoken about this.

Since June of 2004 until today, yet many more words have been spoken about this issue. In fact, there are no new words left to speak. Every word that could have possibly been spoken on this issue has been.

Therefore it is time not for words but for action, the action of returning the Sahrawis to their homeland. On this issue everyone can agree. Then do it, no words, but only the sound of the Sahrawis returning to their homeland.

Please, no more let it be said that "many words were spoken about this."

I do thank you.

- It looks like you are having a lot of issues with Morocco's political system and the monarchy, Good. I do too actually. Not because it is historically old etc... (UK, Spain are old secular monarchies too...) but because I think the monarchy has had a big part in letting this issue drag and become rotten like it is today.

And since when you not agreeing with the political system in a 1000+ years country (sorry for the 200+ years of the forefathers saga) justifies cannibalizing a country? . How about we go nuke Japan then? They have an emperor! You can attack how the political system is functionning in Morocco, but give me a break, have you seen the polisario "institutions" and what they preach?

Also, if you are so keen about democracy how do you explain that the people of Tindouf do not have basic liberties such as the freedom of leaving or staying? Recently 238 of them escaped and rejoined Morocco through the Mauritanian border, few days later 40 others tried but were caught by the algerian army and returned back to the Polisario. God only knows what happened to them. How do you explain that 6000+ people including ex-leaders of polisario joined Morocco?

- Your argument about Moroccan = terrorist is purely racist and preposterous. If poverty plays a role in radicalization, you surely cannot attribute that ONLY to poverty. Mohamed Atta and the 911 hijackers were far from being poor. They were engineers and trained pilots...

Some literature: France Libertes was one of the biggest supporters of the Polisario, this is what they finally discovered: http://www.arso.org/flreport_tindouf.pdf

And as a bonus, please see the testimony of moroccan prisoners when they were trying to release their fellowmen after they escaped from the camps.. :

http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/pressconference/pc050523am1.rm

The Moroccans are avoiding the issues raised in the article. They want to divert the attention. But the main issue is that Morocco illegally occupied Western Sahara in violation of the International Court of Justice verdict and the various UN resolutions that called for the exercise by the Saharawi people of their right to self-determination.

We are not here to judge Polisario. Because, Polisario’s objective is only to achieve independence for the Saharawi people. Then there will be multiparty democratic elections. Even if Polisario and the current leadership disappears or is annihilated by the Moroccans that will not resolve the problem because the overwhelming majority of the Saharawis want independence. Even those in the occupied areas who are not part of Polisario.

The only resolution to the conflict is through a democratic, free and fair referendum to give the Saharawi people and even to Moroccan settlers the chance to decide their and the Territory’s future. Why is Morocco afraid of the referendum?

We all know that the reason for Morocco to hold on Western Sahara is because it is rich and provides a way for the regime to divert attention from serious issues and problems in Morocco itself. This is why there has been no real reform, no respect of human rights, no respect to free speech and basically no real democracy.

It is time Moroccans looked into their own home or rather mess and pressured the absolute monarch of Mohamed VI to give them their basic rights and to respect the rights of the Saharawis.

Morocco has caused so much suffering to the Saharawi people through war, exile and human rights abuses as well as family separations. It is time to redeem thy selves and heal the terrible wounds. It is time for the referendum.

Judging from the posts above, I see that the polisario backers are in fact patented Morocco bashers conveniently called Spaniard anonymous or Gonzales. Some folks in Spain has never stomached being kicked out of Southern Morocco longing for the continuation of Francist Spain. The description given of Morocco above is just plain ridiculous and very telling of the profiles of individuals supporting the polisario. It is crystal clear who actually has the interest of Sahrawi tribes held against their will in Algeria and who desires to continue their exploitation for political and financial designs. No more words needed indeed. I rest my case.

A question to the author of this propaganda article: how come a « weak » and « poor » independence movement can afford « ambassadors » to countries as far from the Sahara as Australia when Moroccan can barely fund and embassy in the region. It is big time the Polisario stops milking its hostages and acting as the peon of the Algerian oil rich military regime and Francist/Aznar Spanish racist neocolonial groups and do the right thing by letting their hostages return to their motherland. None of the head hunchos of the polisario who are enjoying a lavish life overseas on the back of their kidnapped population would ever forgo their advantages and current status for peace. It is sad to see innocent and well meaning folks overseas fall for one of the biggest scams of modern history and support the polisario mercenaries at the expense of the very people they think they are helping.

An eye opener: At the end of his article the author has explicitly delivered threats of more violence and war if Morocco does not yield to the demands of the mercenaries. One wonders how any peace loving individual or activist who truly has the wellbeing of Sahrawi hostages in mind can accept such a martial speech.

I agree with Carlos Wilson that "no more words are needed" in this matter. Action is needed to stop the suffering of the refugees living in the desert as well as all other sahrawis living under Moroccan occupation.
John Lecercle, Spain has gained a lot from its democratic transition, and I personally do not know one single person who would have liked to defend Spain´s colonial interest in the Sahara. The older generation that did their military service in Spanish Sahara (it was a Spanish province), and many nowadays just feel ashamed and embarrased for what they let happen to the Sahrawi people. The Spanish Congress the other day called for the celebration of a referendum in the Sahara. Most of the Spanish people want a referendum for the sahrawi, because we know a little bit of what is happening over there.
On the other hand, I know a few people who think that they lived better when Franco was in power... but that is a bit like with Pauline Hanson, luckily, they are only a minority (not everybody who voted Aznar (ex-president) was pro-Franco).
John, I know a guy working for the POLISARIO in Argel, and he gets paid 7-8 times less of my net income (he works full time), and my income is less than an Australian average.
So, you call POLISARIO rich? Spain and other countries are fishing on Western Sahara waters right? Morocco is getting paid right? .

Well, maybe if Morocco invested in foreign relations, instead of growing marihuana fields (marihuana reaches Spain by the tonne every week), Morocco could have an embassy in Oz.

I simply do not understand why you hate the POLISARIO so much. I believe you in the sense that they are far from being perfect, nor democratic in their way they work. I believe they are highly inefficient as well. But it is true that their list of allies has historically grown thin, and it was not their fault. Now 60 or 80 countries (many small) recognise them diplomatically.

I checked and found that Morocco has indeed an embassy in Australia with 5 staff members! http://www.info.dfat.gov.au/Info/WebProtocol/WebProtocol.nsf/WebConsularList?OpenForm&MoroccoD

Why does Morocco have an embassay in Australia when Australia does not have an embassy in Morocco and when trade relations between the two countries is very small (insignificant)? The answer lies in Western Sahara because they got scared that Australia might recognise the SADR.

How can Morocco afford to send delegation to about 100 countries in five continents to lobby for the so-called autonomy? this costs a lot of money. Why does Morocco pay 8 lobby firms in the US? to lobby on the issue of Western Sahara, which costs millions?

The answer is because the Moroccan King needs to keep Western Sahara, because he doesn't want to show that his father and family made a big mistake and he wants to keep the Moroccans busy with this issue so that they don't think about change in Morocco itself. It is greed, selfishness and perhaps self-preservations. It doesn't have anything to do with the interestests of Morocco or ordinary poor Moroccans.

Yedass,

I think last time I checked, morocco is a country, correct me if I am wrong, may be you are trying to deny that fact as well. As a country with a thousand years old history, Morocco has had embassies since embassies existed. Now what I am curious to know is what country is the SADR? where and when was it created?

I noticed nobody is interested in talking about the points I raised or the videos I posted or the topic itself!? Whether its the kidnapping of kids and shipping them to Cuba or all the other issues if the Arab "Democratic" republic? You seem more interested in bashing Moroccans...

I am also very interested in knowing what you think about the Sahrawis in Laayoune and the Corcas who will lead the next democratically elected autonomous government? I heard the father of the Polisario leader is a senior member of that organization in addition to all the tribesmen leaders who approve the autonomy. What is polisario's stance on that new development?

Tehy actually put up a web site:
http://www.sahara-online.net/Default.aspx?alias=www.sahara-online.net/eng

And regarding all the propaganda about Morocco being in the rank of Somalia, please update yourselves, I do understand that you all picture Moroccans as camel riders, but if you know a minimum about Morocco, you'll know how much the country accomplished and how deep the reforms have been courageous. Look at the languishing arab countries compared to Morocco and you might have an idea.

Thanks ayoub7 for commenting on my earlier posting.

Let me first explain that my comment was mainly a response to the comments of which authors seem to passionately defend Morocco’s position in Western Sahara without comprehending the root causes that underlie this longstanding conflict, which have a lot to do with the structural problems besetting the stone-aged monarchical system in Morocco.

Therefore, I agree with you (but clearly not on the secular part of Morocco’s monarchy) that “the monarchy has had a big part in letting this issue drag and become rotten like it is today”.

Let me also tell you that I am no novice when it comes to the region and its people. I have been to Morocco, to the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara and also to the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf on many occasions.

I am not impressed at all by the propagandistic discourses of the Moroccan officials that I see uncritically recycled in your comment. You talked about the situation of the people in the camps and the fact that many people (6238 at least according to your account) have left to Morocco.

If this were true (I honestly doubt it), that would mean that Morocco has already gained the support of at least 6238 more Saharawis!

How on earth do you explain the fact that Morocco is still unwilling to go for a UN-supervised referendum, which it had formally accepted in 1991, and let the Saharawis show the entire world, as you seem to be sure, that they are really "Moroccans"?

It goes without saying that, despite its much-trumpeted assuring discourses, the Moroccan regime fears the outcome of the referendum, and knows that the Saharawis will definitely choose independence. Listen to what James Baker, a man with extensive diplomatic experience who served for 7 years as the UN man in Western Sahara, has to say: “the closer we got, the more nervous I think the Moroccans got about whether they might not win the referendum” (Interview on the PBS, August 2004). This is an undeniable fact that explains almost everything.

Ayoub7, you claim that my argument about Morocco’s home-grown terrorism is ‘racist’. This shows that either you did not understand what underlies my argument or you just wanted to disprove it at any cost. I have been working extensively on this subject, and I know very well that Morocco’s home-grown terrorism cannot be attributable to only one factor, be it poverty or something else. The undeniable fact, however, is that the political, social and economic policies of the inherently undemocratic regime in Morocco have led to widespread and profound feelings of alienation, marginalisation and social estrangement amid many Moroccans, especially young Moroccans, and this in turn has given rise to various forms of radicalisation. This is the situation of those living in Sidi Moumen in Casa Blanca and other slums of the “real” (as opposed to “royal”) Morocco. The devastating consequence of this “social malcontent” and its transformation into radical and terrorist acts is what we have already seen in Morocco and even in Spain.

You seem unhappy that nobody has so far shown interest in the points you raised or videos you posted, and the fact is that they do not bring anything serious to the debate. You seem unaware that there are loads of other materials and videos out there (obviously not in Morocco) that give a more serious overview of the real issues.

The “corcas” you talk about is a joke! As far as I know, its leader was the same person who was used by colonial Spain to lead the party it created in the then Spanish Sahara, the PUNS. But when Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1975, he fled to Morocco with the money of the party, divorced his Spanish wife and married a Moroccan! He is now being used by Morocco to lead this so-called “royal council”. He may be a "man for many seasons", but certainly one without any credibility whatsoever. Before Morocco can boast about any democracy in the occupied Western Sahara, let it democratise itself first and then will see.

It is clear that polisario backers show their enthusiasm and support for the mercenary group that kidnapped thousands of nomad tribes at gun point in the 70s and 80s more in order to harm an emerging and peaceful country such as Morocco than out of altruism for the saharawis held hostage in Algerian camps by the Algerian oil filthy military regime and grand masters of the polisario puppets. Anyone who truly looks after the well being of the hostaged sahrawis wuld vehemently ask the polisario armed gangs to let them return unharmed to their mother land. Only a trickle of sahrawis have been so far able to risk their lifes and rejoin Morocco and most of those are officials who can travel abroad for the order from the Algerian military to their polisario slaves is to shoot to kill any soul that attempts o go back to Morocco.

A referendum in the Sahara is unthinkable when hundreds of thousands have been confined in camps for decades in Algeria constantly brain washed and indoctrinated by a plethora of communist doctors from Algeria to Cuba to the defunct east germany north korea. The polisario beast is in fact a hybrid creature that can be assimilated to the Columbian FARC living off kidnapping and hostages and North Korea brain washing their captives to death. (continued....)

The polisario, which might have started as a movement of disgruntled fighters who did not get what they considered as they fair share for fighting Spain along side other Moroccans from the Sahara and from other regions in Morocco, has been picked up by the Algerian military regime to be used as a tool to destabilize Morocco and distract Algerians from their ironic and sad misery when their country is so rich with oil and gas.

Polisario members, especially those who grew up in camps groomed to hate their fellow Moroccans, need to do the right thing and ask themselves the famous JFK question; Ask not what Morocco can do for you but ask what you can do for Morocco. It is now a dynamic country which is rapidly modernizing politically, economically and socially. Instead of concentrating on how to get a few hot head Sahrawis youth in Southern Morocco to use violence in order for the Polisario to get its supply of pictures and stories to be used in Europe in order to raise funds and win sympathizers, polisario members should dedicate their efforts to the well being of their brothers and sisters, release their hostages, regain Morocco which has promised to be merciful and participate in the building of modern Morocco and North Africa; a region that remains divided because of a stupid and ridiculous conflict which has claimed so many lives and squandered so much money.

The veiled or explicit threats of war and mayhem if they do not get their way voiced by polisario thugs are the last thing the North African and Southern Mediterranean region. No peace loving person should let them get away with this as enough damage has been done so far by a group of clowns. The last thing the world needs is another puppet banana republic.

How could Polisario kidnap thousands of people?
What about the people in the occupied areas who want independence?

If the people in the refugee camps have been brain washed how come they are so eager to return to Morocco? Is that a contradiction!

If they are hostages wouldn't they want to vote in a referendum for Morocco to liberate themselves from Polisario?

Why is Morocco so jealous of the Algerian oil bonanza? If Morocco behaves in a good manner, the might be rewarded with a real oil discovery.

Moroccans do you think people will believe your lies about "gangs", "hostages", "mercenaries" or is it just an attempt to repeat so many lies so many times with the hope that people will be taken in.

Lecercle: You need to contemplate what Abraham Lincoln said:
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”

It seems we do not need to reach out as far as some US Christian group to hear that the "Refugee camps are POLISARIO detention camps"... we have John right here right now telling us some/same story. Wow, Algeria, Cuba, North Korea, East Germany, the FARC.. we got the brainwashing right here.
Do not ask Sahrawis what they can do for Morocco. They should ask themselves what can they do for their own people, for their sake and well-being. Luckily some are doing so by speaking out.
The CORCAS left the european negotiation table just a few days ago.
And a few months ago, CORCAS Houcine Baida (former POLISARIO) had the guts to denounce tortures, arrests, kidnappings, and other human right abuses in El Ayoun (I wonder if they have kicked him out already).

I would like to thank Kamal Fadel for his article, and wish all POLISARIO diplomats the best in their enterprise/cause.

Thousands of poor men, women and children have perished in horrible ways trying to join Morocco on foot throughout the years. The ones who by miracle manage to escape the fierce grip of the polisario assassins tell horrifying stories of their conditions in the camps and what they had to go through. Do-gooders and humanitarian NGOs that are fooled to support the polisario thinking they are supporting a freedom movement are actually aiding and abating one of the most savage groups in human history that have managed to hold an entire region hostage until they get what they would like which is no less that a country of their own where they can rule and sell their services to the highest bidders. This is very reminiscent of the well meaning folks who until the last decade were heralding the humanitarian side of Stalinist Russia.

The underdogs in this conflict are the Sahrawi tribes and Morocco that are still paying the price of the propaganda spewed by the Algerian regime trough their polisario servants eager to sacrifice the future of their own people for a villa in Algiers or a scholarship for their kids in Europe. Anyone who let’s the polisario get away with its crimes against humanity unchecked and without holding it accountable are in fact voluntarily or involuntarily directly causing the continuation of horrific conditions under which Sahrawi tribes continue to suffer.

Algeria and the polisario have fully capitalized on ridiculously weak and unprofessional foreign strategy adopted by Morocco for decades which mainly consisted of ignoring polisario threats and wide propaganda activities assuming that decent folks would see through polisario ploys. Nuts who do not hesitate to exploit their people like sheep for their own benefit are thugs and do not possess any morals; countering the polisario propaganda wherever it is the only way to save the Sahrawi hostages and allow them to rejoin their country. Morocco has also screwed up because of its weak but improving human right record where mistakes were made against militants with different causes in most regions of Morocco. (ctnd….

Police exactions against few young unemployed sahrawis (constanly stirred up by polisario agents) who voice their frustration with economic and social conditions (which are often better than conditions in some other areas of Morocco) by pledging allegiance to the mercenaries and starting fires in urban areas in order to attract attention, should not systematically be used against Morocco. Police mistakes are unfortunately not unique to the Sahara. As Morocco is developing its judicial and enforcement system, police interventions are increasingly becoming more professional. One has to add that despite the well documented mistakes, human right conditions in Morocco are far better than all countries in Africa (except for South Africa) and certainly all countries in the Middle East. Needless to say that human right conditions in Algerian camps run by Algerian military dictators and the polisario, a group known for its predilection for the most sadistic forms of torture and that won the infamous record of holding the oldest POWs in the world, are only worse in a place called hell. Members of the polisario torture squads should never benefit from the “Nation is merciful” policy adopted by Morocco and should be tried for what they are: human scum.

Well meaning individuals or organizations should make sure they can see beyond the “model” camps set up for foreign visitors in Algeria where Sahrawis are forced to yell their support to Abdelaziz the criminal (born and raised in Morocco whose father served as an officer in the Moroccan Army up until recent retirement) and put on a show for the foreigners under the threat of not receiving their set food and water rations or seeing their kids sent away.

If anyone wants to sincerely help, please demand that the polisario and Algeria release the Sahrawi tribes and let them go back to their country. Enough with the horrific conditions in which innocent little kids are brought up, enough with the polisario inflicted misery and exploitation. Sad to see well meaning activists act for the Polisario thinking they are contributing to a good cause when their actions are causing death and suffering

Gee, John, do you happen to work for a US Christian NGO?
I may happen to be one of those activists, and by reading your posts I do think about the possibility that maybe the POLISARIO are those you want to mention...
But I can only tell from what I have seen so far. I went to the camps last year, and I wish those people a better future. Still, since 31 years ago it is Morocco who I believe is the obstacle to a fair referendum. Why not let the sahrawis (and not the Moroccans) decide for their own future?
Please don´t talk about hell. I did not see Satan around.
And the fact that human rights are worse off in other parts of the world, does not mean that they are actually living in Disneyland. They are sistematically being beaten by good Moroccans.

POLISARIO freed all its Moroccan prisoners, Morocco has sahrawi prisoners still, and they keep detaining more and more (tortures, etc..).

If Morocco is really concerned about the plight of the Saharawi people and want them to return to their homeland, why is it obstructing the referendum which includes in one of its stages the return of refugees?

I agree with Lecercle that Morocco's human rights record is horrific and compared to the Apartheid regime in South Africa before the ANC took over.

Aminetou Haidar, Ali Salem Tamek, Sidi Mohamed Daddach, Brahim Dahan among many others are not children. They are old men and women in the occupied Western Sahara, who have spent many years in prison and who are constantly persecuted by the Moroccan police and army.

Why is the Black prison in El Ayoun full of Saharawi independence activists not mentioning the other prisoners in Morocco proper?

Why are independent observers including an EU delegation are not allowed to visit the occupied Western Sahara these days?

Why was a Swedish journalist expelled from the Territory few weeks ago?

Why Saharawis are not allowed to demonstrate peacefully in the occupied areas?

Lecercle seem to be full of hatred for the Saharawis and their independence movement the Polisario. But hatred will not lead you any way. It may lead you astray. Perhaps you are paid to do this dirty job of defending the crimes of the absolute monarchy in Morocco. May be you need the money and you're not happy with the job. Why not join the thousands of your compatriots who risk their lives in small boats trying to reach Europe every day because they are not happy at home. No decent jobs and no freedom.

The other alternative is to get a job in Algeria which is benefiting from the high price of oil and gas and has a surplus of foreign currency having managed to pay almost all its foreign debt.

Lecerecle if you’re depressed working as a secret service agent you may want to consider moving to Western Sahara and working in the lucrative business of fishing or in the Phosphate mines which Morocco is exploiting.

I believe that there are also oil companies exploring for oil in Western Sahara which has a great potential. Don’t worry the Saharawis will not kick you out when they achieve their independence.

You might get more depressed when you government starts negotiating with Polisario which you hate so much. By the way Kind Hassan II and the current King Mohamed VI have both met Polisario leaders that you hate and describe in many ways.

If Polisario is so bad why do your Kings meet its leaders and negotiate with them?

Furthermore one quite of the Polisario officials who went back to Morocco obtained very lucrative jobs better than you. One of them Omar Hadrami, who was the head of Polisario’s Intelligence Service, is a Governor and quite few others are Ambassadors. Why?

Any Polisario member who wants to go join Morocco will be given money, a house and a job but ordinary Moroccans don’t get these things. Why?

An interesting thing I have noticed in this interesting forum is that it has exposed this sort of people who seem, wittingly or unwittingly, to live in some other plant completely different from ours.

And John Lecercle is definitely one of them. One characteristic of these people is clearly their passionate adherence to a series of uncritically embraced beliefs about certain realities in this world. Because of this, they think that they are the only ones that can talk knowledgeably about these realties, simply because the rest of the mortals either have no access whatsoever to those realities or are inherently incapable of perceiving them. This is undoubtedly a presumptuous assumption. The other related characteristic is that they are too immersed in their self-created world that they are unable to see or perceive the world outside.

It is in this context that we can see this John leaving no stone unturned in order to depict an apocalyptic (albeit unimpressive) picture of the POLISARIO and the Saharawi people in a way that gives the impression that he really knows what he is talking about. I do not know him personally, and I have no idea about his background either. I am very sure, however, that he has never been to the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf.

We who have spent some time among the Saharawi refugees can readily see that his account of the situation and the people who live there is absurd and preposterous. It is not hard to identity the kind of sources on which he has drawn to come up with these extraordinarily fictitious accounts. The propagandistic discourses of Moroccan officials are very present there, in addition to the fabrications usually concocted by the notoriously unreliable MAP (the Moroccan state-controlled press agency). By the way, I have just been informed that MPs representing all Colombian parties have belied a recent wire by this agency in which they were allegedly quoted pledging their support for Morocco’s “proposal for autonomy”. It is not surprising to me at all! (continued…)

Let me remind John that thousands of visitors have been to the Saharawi refugee camps that are open and accessible to everyone who wishes to visit. The UNHCR, ECHO and MINURSO (the UN mission) and a host of other NGOs are present in the filed. How come that they have not seen or felt anything of what you claim, or do you have some Olympian vantage point from which you are able to see the unseen?

I have been to those camps, and I do follow the situation there with great interest. It would therefore be a waste of time for me to comment on the well-known fabrications of the Majzen propagandistic machinery, which you have recycled here in a remarkably faithful way.

Those of us who live in democratic countries are able to access a variety of sources of information about many issues including the situation in the whole region of North Africa.

One issue that evidently surpasses in its severity John's apocalyptic (albeit fictitious) accounts about the Saharawi refugee camps is the appalling situation in the Moroccan occupied-territories of Western Sahara. This is no conjecture, but an empirical fact established—explicitly and for everybody to see—in the publicly accessible reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others.

The medieval and barbaric repression carried out by the Moroccan various corps of security services is well-documented and evidenced graphically by these organisations: raping and dosing Saharawi youngsters with petrol is just the tip of the iceberg of the unspeakable horrors that the Moroccan security forces continue to inflict with impunity on the Saharawi population that has been engaged in peaceful demonstrations since May 2005.

To hide its crimes from the scrutiny of the world, the autocratic regime in Morocco has denied many people (including MEPs) the access to the occupied Western Sahara. International media are also barred from the territory. This is the real situation that John and company seem unable to see because they have long been irremediably blindfolded by the Majzen relentless propagandistic discourses… Wake up, gentlemen!

@Spaniard,

Really? I'm surprised that you even have an opinion about a colonization matter, your country is still colonizing two major cities in Morocco! and the atrocities Spain committed in Morocco during the colonization war speak for themselves. What the heck are you waiting for to voice your frustration and ask your government to leave before they are officially asked to? Or are we going to see you "feel guilty" at the way Spain would leave Ceuta and Melilia and you will be asking for a referendum over there too?

And how about the basque movement? how come the so called democratic Spain won't give them self-determination? Pure hypocrisy.

@Yedass/Simon,

Since you're bringing the terrorism issue, Polisario has a long standing history of terror they can be very proud of indeed, including shooting down a US military plane and presenting excuses afterwards:

http://www.tkb.org/RWExecquery.jsp?sLibraryType=Terr_Incidents&QueryString=polisario

You can bash Morocco as much as you want, you can show your contempt for Moroccans too, you can"assume" that nobody believes UNHCR or France Libertes, that is your right. But the truth is coming out and nothing will stop that from reaching every ear of every international decision maker. The international community is very much so aware of the real ramifications of this issue today. And nothing can stop that, whether it's oily Algeria or communist Cuba or the dying Polisario.

Bottomline, any person using some logic will understand that if the people in Tindouf are escaping by the hundreds to Morocco risking their lives, then there must be a very good reason for that. And in the same token, nobody would understand why polisario would need to deprive the sahrawis in the camps from their freedom of movement and torture or kill whoever tries to escape.

As far as my questions/videos/documents, the fact that none of the polisario backers have an answer for them should really not get you that excited. It means nothing more that they can't answer them and that by ignoring them, they acknowledge the horrific facts being reported. so don't get too enthusiatic because you can't answer questions.

Ayoub, you just need to read the first 2 lines of my first post to know what I think on your report/videos/docs. I am not a POLISARIO backer, but if you consider me as one, then do not say that nobody can criticise your reports. I didn´t go into detail because it is pretty clear what they are on about. (Did you actually read what I wrote?)

I am not the representative of Spain, and as a matter of fact I do not agree with everything Zapatero says (should I for the fact of being Spanish?)
And what you say about Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish cities in African soil... I happen to know a couple of people from each city, and they feel Spanish, and proud of it (not like me..). Most of the population would probably migrate if were under Moroccan rule.
So, back to the point. People should be free to decide for their own future. And yes, as a Spaniard I should put pressure on my senators...

@ Spaniard,

I got from your first post that you were not a supporter of Zapatero, but thanks for clarifying... you dismissed the ESISC report, so I copied the France-Libertes which is saying the same thing, with all the facts and names documented. You don't agree with that one either I suppose?

Talking about not getting answers, how about the atrocities committed by Spanish troops in the Moroccan Rif mountains and how about the similar Basque question? Are you pressuring your senators for that too?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_%28historical_territory%29

Since the 19th century, Basque nationalism has demanded the right of self-determination and even independence (...) The desire for independence is particularly common among leftist Basque nationalists. Since self-determination is not recognized in the Spanish Constitution of 1978, a wide majority of Basques abstained and some even voted against it in the referendum of December 6 of that year. However, it was approved by clear majority at the Spanish level, and simple majority at Navarrese and Basque levels.

Can you please explain to me why the right for self-determination is "prohibited" in the Spanish constitution for the Basques while at the same time you are pushing for that right elsewhere?

As for the "Spanish cities in African soil" (how romantic) Ceuta and Melilia, it seems you are justifying colonization by economic performance? well let me then make the exact same case about Moroccan sahara which is a prosperous place and Tindouf camps which are a humanitarian catastrophe. Many sahrawis fled the camps to Moroccan sahara. I guess you'd agree then that because of this economic fact, Morocco is entitled to the Sahara? Your argument just doesn't make sense. Ceuta and Melilia are on African soil, Spain is in Europe, There is a sea between the continents, you can try to make your argument in 36000 ways, there is a huge geographical fact that any 5 years old who opens up a map would say "Gee, how come those 2 African cities are spanish? That sure looks like colonies!"

I must have touched a raw nerve exposing the polisario for what it is to draw the ire and personal attacks of polisario “lovers” in this forum who have been too comfortable spreading lies and fabrications for too long. As the famous saying goes: Only the truth hurts. From the contributions above, it is crystal clear who on one side is proSahrawi and resolutely wants their well being and the immediate end of their plight and who is pro polisario criminals who encourages the status quo and voluntarily or not contributes to keep Moroccan Sahrawis confined like cattle in Algerian camps in order to use their misery to fund the lavish lives of a happy few some of them living as far from the Sahara as Australia and to help the Algerian military regime in its designs to continue draining the resources of their country for their own benefits and at the detriment of their .

Polisario thugs are mainly supported by Che Guevara wannabes who think they are supporting a just “revolution”, racist spaniards who abhor anything related to Morocco and blame it for every issue Spain encounters from unemployment to drought, presidents of poor countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia eager to receive their shipment of “fine” Algerian wine and dollar suit cases, Algerian military regime members and finally innocent well meaning souls who have fallen victim to the speech of the preceding groups. (ctnd)

To the last group, as the former groups are hopeless demagogues that only care about comforting their oversized egos, sticking it to Morocco or filling up their bank accounts, please go beyond the speeches that are fed to you on the Sahara issue by the polisario incorporated for every once of support to provide these criminals destroys the life of a child, a woman or a man held hostage in Algerian camps.

Talk to the refugees who managed to run away from the Algerian camps, talk to the men and women who were snatched from their families at 5 years old to be shipped to Cuba so their parents remain docile and to prevent them from returning to their country, talk to the Moroccan prisoners and POWs and finally talk to the Sahrawis in the camps when no one is actually looking around. One final sentence to end this exchange on my end: Every freedom loving individual should demand that Moroccan Sahrawi tribes imprisoned in Algerian camps be immediately freed. The polisario thugs should understand that they will sooner or later have to let them return to their country Morocco so that they can be full fledged dignified humans again as opposed to slaves to an archaic terrorist group.

John, I am beginning to think that you really have no clue of what is going on... so I guess all your information is not "first-hand info". You were probably told things others were told. Even so, I would find it appropiate to have a bit of respect for the others, including myself (that is if you are calling me a Spanish racist).
I hope readers can witness the "truth-fulness" of your words. Because if you lie about me, it reassures me that you are lying about the POLISARIO "thugs" as well. I am going to comment no more in this long thread.
My greetings to all real peace lovers, and the ones that are willing to know about the truth without prejudices. My greetings to Kamel, whose articles published in this site I have read.
And as I said before, good night, and Good LUCK!

Much has been said about Ceuta and Melilia, but I would like to ask if you (ayoub7) really think that these territories are Moroccan why the regime has never waged a war, or at least order another “green march”, in order to “regain” them, as it did in the Western Sahara case? I will appreciate if you, or whoever may have an answer, would give me a convincing response.

Besides, a compelling fact is that we have never heard that the citizens of these two Spanish enclaves have ever explicitly demanded their return to the “homeland”, or waged a liberation war against Spain. Can you explain this?

The question of Western Sahara (whether you like it or not) has long been established by the UN as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. I hope you know what this means. In case you do not, this means that the entire UN system (whether you like it or not) still considers Western Sahara a territory of which status remains undetermined, because its people have not yet been able to exercise their right to self-determination. What explains this in the realm of world politics is the unarguable fact that no single country in the world recognises Morocco’s claims of sovereignty over the territory. This is a fact.

If Western Sahara is really Moroccan, as you unconvincingly claim, why is the UN Mission present in the territory, including military observers from countries such as the US, Russia, France and China, among others? To my mind, those observers are not there on vacation but on a certain mission, and that mission (as contained in UN resolutions) is to organise a referendum on the undetermined status of the territory. For your information, the regime in Morocco was impelled in the early 1990s to accept their presence and their mission, exactly as it has recently been forced to take its flags off the UN compound in La Aiún. This is another fact.

Your desperate attempt to link the POLISARIO with terrorism is starkly fruitless. Do you think that the CIA and other agencies do not know who is really involved in terrorism? They have more resources to know, and their intelligence has never shown the involvement of the POLISARIO in any terrorist act, despite Morocco’s relentless attempts to depict it as a terrorist group.

As I have argued earlier, the real danger for North Africa at the moment, apart from the well-known active radical groups, is the Morocco’s home-grown terrorist groups, which have been active in the country since the 1990s, including Al-Salafiya al-Jihadiaya, Al-Sirat Al-Mustaqim and Al-Takfir Wa-al-Hijra. These are well-identified groups whose terrorist activities are well-known to international intelligence services.

The undeniable fact that many seem to overlook, however, is that the emergence of these groups is inextricably linked with the deteriorating socio-economic situation of many Moroccans due to years of repression and social and political impoverishment carried out by an inherently dictatorial regime.

This is the compelling truth that is beginning to draw the attention of international community and key decision-makers. Moreover, many people in Morocco proper and Spain have unfortunately felt its devastating consequences. This is another fact.

Your argument will be more plausible if put this way: Bottom-line, any person using some logic will understand that if the people in Morocco are escaping by the thousands [not hundreds] to Europe risking their lives, then there must be a very good reason for that: the miserable life they have been leading under an authoritarian monarchical regime.

You seem unable still to understand that people may have access to many sources of information. Your video talks unimpressively about Saharawi children being sent to Cuba for bla, bla. This is exclusively a Moroccan source, isn’t? The POLISARIO may also have its own videos. What about an independent source, the UNCHR? Tell me what you think?

http://www.arso.org/UNHCRCuba.htm

Indeed, only the truth hurts, John. And the truth is that you and company have no solid arguments to offer, but mere propagandistic discourses that you are eager to parrot in a sickening fashion.