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The Forum > Article Comments > The Moroccan magic formula for Western Sahara > Comments

The Moroccan magic formula for Western Sahara : Comments

By Kamal Fadel, published 22/3/2007

Morocco wants to legitimise its grab of Western Sahara because it is rich in natural resources and large in size.

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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.
Posted by John Lecercle, Friday, 23 March 2007 6:05:51 PM
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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.
Posted by John Lecercle, Saturday, 24 March 2007 1:59:29 AM
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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.
Posted by spaniard (anonymous), Saturday, 24 March 2007 5:54:07 AM
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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.
Posted by Yedass, Saturday, 24 March 2007 7:59:00 AM
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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.
Posted by ayoub7, Saturday, 24 March 2007 9:12:46 AM
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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.
Posted by Simon Rodriguez, Saturday, 24 March 2007 11:01:44 AM
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