Call for intellectual integrity from Morrocan intellectuals

by iosaf Sat Apr 22, 2006 23:34

This is a significant update.
It has been more than a year since all moroccan prisoners held by Western Saharans were released (see above article and comments)
Since i started this article, a lot has happened, just like a lot happened since i started the Nepal article. It would be completely unpractical to post updates every week. But in the slow ardous process of self-determination the Western Saharans want and demand, fishing issues did come to the newswire by another commentator :- http://indymedia.ie/article/75137
Those fishing and migrant issues also effect neighbouring Mauritania which is now the main bottle neck of migrants waiting to enter Europe. When those of the Western Sahara began fighting their war for independence, globalised capitalism had not returned (& It is a return to victorian era imperialism ) nor had the EU extended equally rights & hopes, greed & exploitation in all directions. When many of the political prisoners now facing amnesty were arrested, mobile phone technology did not exist, we had no geostationary satelites to assist our fishing fleets and the table was thus laid with different cloth.

to understand the region and its problems I recommend casting an eye on these articles as well:-
"How high can you jump for the beautiful life?"
http://indymedia.ie/article/71750 (which reported on just one month of desperate border crossings)
"Really!!! How high can you jump for the beautiful life?" (which tried to reinforce the point)
http://indymedia.ie/article/72231
"Is it a Coup d'Etat yet? = reports from Mauritania"
http://indymedia.ie/article/71288 which informed on the coup d'etat in Mauritania.

by integrity is what they're looking for : is it? Fri Oct 07, 2005 19:06

i wrote there had been a geopolitical shift in Western Africa which would effect us all, the course of the coup in Mauritania, the roots of the attackers on London 7/7.2005, increased salafist activity and dissatisfaction within Algeria and Egypt at recent political settlements, the Italy/Libya pact, Sudanese and Congoese war, Nigerian mass corruption and internationalised criminalisation, the undending dismissal by Morocco of the Western Saharans, the locusts of 2004 who ate double the size of county cork in a week, the famines of Niger and Mali have all resulted in -

The Africans, Mr Geldof and Mr Bono and Mr Blair
got you to walk and bracelet for arriving to jump into your cosy world as the willing lowest paid.

& they got driven in 4 wheel drives to the Sahara
and dumped.

The moroccans wrote to us all, for intellectuals know no border, and asked for integrity, they said why don't you talk about the basques more and us less. They paid for a whole page of quality toilet paper broadsheet.

Now who is going to talk about the Africans
dumped in the desert?

by iosaf Sun Sep 04, 2005 16:39

yet didn't get announced. Its now over 60 days. They are approaching records. At the end of last week the Moroccan authorities described the hunger strikes as "fictitious".
what does that mean?
It means that those 37 individuals began hunger strikes with political intent - to attract intention to the Western Sahara conflict, the conditions in the refugee camps, the stalled Baker processes, the reason for UN invovlement and to carry a political process out of the unrest which flared in May 2005.
And at some stage, before losing consciousness or after, those who are watching them, began to force feed them.

If the hunger strikes are fiction they have been very well reported fiction, and fiction that prompted a mass fast in the saharan territories amongst the western saharan peoples and occupy much of the background to this lengthy article and updates.

So, the hunger strikers are real. The hunger strike is real. What is unreal, is the length of time. And we move into odd territory. Can we accuse the imprisoning state (Morocco) of a further breach of the human rights of prisoners in its charge, if it chooses the option of keeping them alive, all-be-it in serious and chronic conditions rather than allowing them to die, as other administrations did not too far from the Irish memory?

by iosaf Wed Aug 31, 2005 16:32

Mohamed Abdelaziz described by some as a Polisario leader, and noted by others to be in Paris, regularly writes open letters, there have been a few referred to above.

The last yesterday went to Blair as President of the EU. The Saharans are "it is implied" asking for Baker "3". On the rabat side, there are hints that the some of the prisoners have been involved in dialogue.

The deaths of the first hungers strikers are looming.

by iosaf Tue Aug 30, 2005 14:41

It appears pretty certain that 7 of the western saharans on hunger strike in moroccan jails are about to die. All have lost consciousness, all are hanging on by a thread.

This shall in the future become a watershed in the history of the Saharan conflict, and will emote conditions throughout the region especially amongst those communities who feel alienated from recent very limited prosperity in the urban centres of north africa.

For their part Polisario have asked western saharans to hold a one day fast, a hunger strike of 1 day, on the 1st of September in solidarity with the 37 individuals who are on hunger strike.

by iosaf Sat Aug 27, 2005 00:23

Abderrahman Buguarfa, Elhusain Ndur & Lahsen Zraiguinat are according to polisario reports today in danger of dying, the three lost consciousness on the 19th of august and have not regained it.

Another four of the hunger strikers (who began their fasts in early august see above) Mahmud Haddad, Omar Daudi, Amaydan Eluali y Eljanhi Lajlifa have lost consciousness.
http://www.rojoynegro.info/2004/article.php3?id_article=6362

Morocco still holds an estimated 150 western sahara prisoners, various entities including the pro-Baker plan 3, US senators cross party lobby have suggested that morocco ought release those prisoners now that polisario have released all the moroccans.

by iosaf Thu Aug 18, 2005 19:31

in english:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4162790.stm

the Polisario front hopes this move, the release of the longest "POWs" in history (?) will help the campaign.
The moroccans see it as an obligatory first step.
the move announced by Mohamed Abdelaziz on July 15 (see above) was to number 408 POWs but 4 of them escaped, (see above). There are now no Moroccan POWs.

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chronology:-

on the 27th of February 1976 (29 years ago) Spanish troops (as a possible effect of the implosion of the Franco regime on the death of the dicatator and the then beginning of the transition to democracy in the spanish state) left the western Sahara.

[They had previously left a smaller enclave in 1969]
[They retain sovreignty of two enclaves as integral parts of the spanish state on the african continent, Cueta and melilla, and the canary islands 40 km west of the continent their claims to these three are based on historical reality, treaties and stuff many hundreds of years ago]

After the withdrawl of Spain, the Polisario front declared independence for Western Sahara and declared war on both Morocco (to the north) and Mauritania (to the south).

in 1979 mauritania left the war and signed a peace treaty with Polisario abandoning its claim to a third of western sahara which the moroccan state subsequently included in its annexation.

Since then, morocco has claimed the complete territory and built the wall, and though its claims are not recognised internationally has secured the area.

Polisario claims a small zone and most of its campaign is run from the refugee camps in Tinduf on the Algerian border.

1991 the UN adopted a resolution on the 29th of April and set a date for a referendum on the future of the region for the 26th of January the following year.

the referendum never happened, between september and decemeber of 1991 there was a massive influx of 37,000 moroccan citizens to the area, which the saharans rejected as having a right to vote.

in 1994 Morocco presented an electorate of 160,000 approx whereas Polisario said the electorate ought only be 70,000 approx.

in 1996 the UN suspended the process for the referendum.

in 1997 the US secretary Baker was named as UN man, and under his mission the referendum plans were reinitiated and prisoners exchanged.

from the 7th of June 1998 the UN was declared as responsible for the area. the census of the electorate continued to be the main point of contention.

1999 the then king of Morocco Hassan 2, died and left the moroccan state to his son, who began a long needed process of democratisation and reform. the UN suspended a proposed referendum for 2000.

2000, on the 2nd of March, MINURSO (The UN body) accepted an electorate of 86,831 legible voters against the 135,000 approx proposed by Morocco. the 28th of September that year, the Moroccans accepted negotiations with Polisario for the first time.

2001, 22nd of June, the 2nd Baker plan or "third way" suggested autonomy for Sahara under Moroccan sovreignty the plan was rejected by
polisario.

2002, feb.19 Kofi Anan of the UN presented 4 options to the security council.
* hold the referendum on the 1991plan.
* accept the 2nd baker plan.
* partition of the territory.
* dissolve MINURSO.

2003, January -Baker made his 3rd suggestion, now know as "the Baker plan", autonomous elections establishing some type of functioning state apparatus within a year, followed by a sovreignty referendum within 6 years.
February, under spanish pressure Polisario released 100 POWs.
The last baker plan was accepted by both
Polisario and Algeria but rejected by Morocco.

2004, Baker resigned and was replaced by a peruvian Alvaro de Soto who had been nominated by Annan the year before.

2005 serious unrest began in late spring which brings the reader up to this article, the Italian (in the last comment ) was rejected as UN envoy, the current envoy is Peter Van Walsum a dutchman.

by io Sat Aug 06, 2005 14:58

Francesco Bastagli an i-t-a-l-i-a-n diplomat to the UN has been nominated by Kofi Annan to direct the UN mission on a referendum for western Sahara (MINURSO).

by iosaf .:. ipsiphi ·.· Fri Aug 05, 2005 01:14

Morocco at same time that the news that the saharan human rights acitivist was on hunger strike saw published a reply to amnesty international and more unspecified non-governmental agencies in the popular daily francophone newspaper "le matin".
http://www.lematin.ma/journal/article.asp?id=natio&ida=50839
*
The spanish foreign minister will meet his moroccan counterpart on friday of this week as part of an unofficial visit holiday thing, and they'll chat on shared interests in the you know shared sort of sphere of common interests, before that he'll accompany his king to saudi arabia to pay condolences and respect at a perfectly normal just your usual saudi wahabi grave in which the last saudi king is was buried.
*
The french company Total (which lost the contracts in mauritania has as of half an hour at time of writing withdrawn from the western sahara.
*
the kingdom of Norway has expressed its support of the Alaouite kingdom of Morocco and its continued sovreignty of western sahara in the last hour as well.
*
here's the cross-stich.

Geopolitics has taken a turn,
down africa way,
that is all about time,
I brought ye through all ye need to know.
as bearla.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=71288

kings & queens of estrecho & madiaq: the Bourbon well established, the Alaouite number 23 in his dynasty

by iosaf Thu Aug 04, 2005 21:35

the news has come from the Andalucian western sahara support network, that Ali Salem Tamek has today begun a hunger strike of indefinite duration.

by Duine Wed Aug 03, 2005 15:21

GRMA a iosaif as an t-eolas seo.

by iosaf Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:36

(NB its holidays, and not much happens.)

29 of the recent political prisoners have as of yesterday followed a hunger strike begun by Aminetu Haida (held without charge since july 18) to protest the fate of 5 of their compatriots.

5 prisoners Ali Salem Tamek, Mohamed Elmutawakil, El Hussein Lidri, Brahim Numria and Laarbi Massud (all mentioned above) were transferred from their places of detention without notice to families or lawyers on Monday.

The present location of all those prisoners has not been revealed with the exception of Ali Salem Tamek who is known to be at the Moroccan prison of Ait Melloul.

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Aminetu Haida, the activist who began that hunger strike has been nominated by eurodeputies Antonio Masip (España), Karim Sheele (Austria) and Ana Gomes (Portugal) for the upcoming Sakharov peace price which the EU fives annually.
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On 03/7/05 the Moroccan king, mohamed VI elogised the security forces of his state and insisted that polisario mistreated saharan refugees and was not truly representative of their interests, whilst also pointing a finger at Algeria and accusing them of illegal actions.
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on 1/8/05 the envoy of polisario to the UN Mohamed Yeslen Bisat asked for that organisation "to do more" and stop the "spiral of violence".
He indicated that if the UN do not play a more active part, polisario will return to armed struggle.
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Amnesty International has joined those calling for the release of , Mohamed El Mutauakil, Husein Lidri, Brahim Numria, Larbi Mesaud, Fdaili Gaudi and Ali Salem Tamek and has denounced their detentions and continuing torture and human rights abuses in the region.
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This morning the Spanish foreign minister Moratinos has said that Spain can not take sides in the conflict and has effectively rejected calls for Spain "to lead" the independence movement of Western Sahara.
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* The wall built by Morocco in the Western Sahara
is 2,720 km long, and as such is 320km longer than the great wall of China at 2,400 km.

* It is the longest security perimeter yet built and work began in 1980.

* it was built in 6 distinct phases with financial help from the EU for the ostensible function of stopping sub-saharan migration to the continent.

* its cost represents 36% of the 10 most immportant perimeter boundaries in history
including the US/Mexican border and the Israeli/Palestinian wall.

* The no-mans land along the perimeter has a density of 4,000 anti-personel mines per Km squared. Morocco is not a signatory to the Ottawa protocol on mine use.

* it is in many ways the final border of Europe. The Europe of 25 states which is guarded by the natural sea and its poorer neighbouring states the desert beyond, still needs a wall.

by - Tue Jul 26, 2005 15:25

More demonstrations. One called for tomorrow evening 19h00 at the Moroccan embassy in Madrid.
to call for "the right to autodetermination of the sahawari", "to uphold the human rights of the sahawari" "to call for the release of saharawi political prisoners" "to end the oppression".
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Meanwhile, the leadership of IU (the left of PSOE spanish party, marxist 4th international, closely related to the ICV Catalan green party in coalition, and key movers of the 7 rejected delegations who tried to visit the area) have criticised the Zapatero approach, saying it needs be "less forceful" and more "balanced".
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The moroccans for their part, are sending out the message that Polisario who for them are the political wing and military wing of "moroccan seperatists", are in fact algerian. For readers of spanish this interview with the ex-leader of the democratic arabic republic of sahara is worth a read, matching that spin.
http://www.lavanguardia.es/web/20050725/51189779236.html
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Saharawi poets are amongst those invited to ongoing cultural iniatives in bcn.
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Algeria has recalled the third of its diplomatic staff to Iraq, the last member of the Algerian mission, the others are of course still hostages of Al Q.
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Algeria doing well financially thanks to european interest in its gas, has just come to an accord with Eutelsat, to share resources on internet supply, moblie communications, and means that one of the mediterranean communication satelites has just changed part of its data allocation. This might seem an odd little titbit to include but its not, data allocation on satelites in the mediterranean and arabic telly and mobile areas is very interesting.
for many reasons.

by - Sun Jul 24, 2005 18:46

The delegation from the Canary Islands has been refused access to Western Sahara today by the Moroccan state, the 7th delegation this year to be stopped.
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The group "peace and liberty for the Saharawi people"
brought about 3000 people to the streets of Barcelona today, to call for respect for their humanrights, the release of recent political prisoners and the Spanish government to do all it can to resolve the current crises which they term "repression without precedent".
The demonstration coincided with the arrival of more than 800 Saharawi children who have been offered sanctuary from the zone by Catalan families an iniative ongoing since 1999. The group which counts on cross party political support also called on the EU to make all appropriate efforts to help the Sahawari people. Some of the "pro-independence" catalan politicians who took part and spoke to the media were critical of the Spanish government's "double standards".
Unfortuanately for the last week Barcelona's indymedia (and several other Euro and Canadian indymediacentres) is offline, server mushed. so no report to link you too.
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For his part the Spanish foreign minister has made preparatory remarks ahead of a meeting with mr Blair UK PM and EU president next week in an interview published in Barcelona's La Vanguardia newspaper, in which he reiterated his government's belief that the "alliance of civilisation" proposals must form the way out of the current terror crises, and that the "war on terror" approach alone is misguided and is effect serving to compound the social and political conditions in which recruiters for "al qaeda" or any other imitative fundamentalist terror group recruits.
c/f
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70873
On the specific question of the Western Sahara question, the minister assured- "the spanish are going to pay the bills for this destabilisation".
The minister also signalled that continued resolve of his government to continue the perceived French/German axis in the EU and oppose the UK on agricultural reforms as well as other issues
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Algeria is to see one of its citizens, a fundamentalist imam returned today from France.
The iman Abdelhamid Aissaoui, was linked to the Lyon train bombing of 1995 had been imprisoned and is one on a list of a dozen "missionaries of terror" France want to deport. Since 2002, the French state has expelled 40 people on "terror lists" and today's deportation is the 11th this year.
Algeria's ambassador and one other diplomat are currently kidnapped in Baghdad by "alQ".
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I hope this week to open a thread which joins these issues. Because I believe they must all be considered jointly. We have passed the point of talking about Western Sahara without Morocco, without Spain without Algeria. We have passed the point of suggesting "the spanish will pay the bill" without realising we all pay the bill.

by iosaf Sun Jul 24, 2005 16:09

The 8 person delegation from Canarias left for Western Sahara at 13h22 local time
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Moroccans are describing this as provocation.
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The wife of Ali Salem Tamek one of the prisoners at heart of the crises has applied for Spanish political asylum.
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The Spanish airforce base at Getafe just outside of Madrid saw an incident last night in which police detained 6 moroccans, 3 men and 3 women for crashing their car into the perimeter fence. What at first seemed a terrorist incident was reported as far away as Argentina as :- "arabs crash into airforce base" and "moroccans attept to enter airforce base"
http://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=174939
http://www.diariohoy.net/v5/verNoticia.phtml/html/185523/
It then turned out to be a completely innocent car crash. The family of 6 included a pregnant woman and an elderly woman and were driving at speed to find insulin for one of them, and thought they were turning into a hospital. After being searched and found without arms or explosives and their bag searched by TEDEX (the spanish bomb squad) it was found to contain a koran. They were released in the early hours but the driver will face charges for criminal damage.
http://www.abc.es/abc/pg050724/actualidad/nacional/sucesos/200507/24/getafe_marroquies.asp
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/07/24/espana/1122201495.html
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The Spanish court has sent an list of questions relating to the possibility of extraditing Lahcen Ikassrien, aka “Chej Hasan”, now in spanish prison to Morocco his homeland. Ikassrien was transferred from Guantanamo last week. He was linked in 2001 to Al Qaeda and events in Turkey, Spain, USA and Morocco.

by - Sat Jul 23, 2005 16:22

Moroccan daily yesterday accused the Spanish state media EFE of gross manipulation. Article in french.
http://www.lematin.ma/journal/article.asp?id=natio&ida=50441
another french langauge article which accuses the spanish (since Aznar) of fomenting the "seperatists".
from the other day.
http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200507210603.html

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Tomorrow a delegation representing the Canary Islands will attempt to visit the region. They left Palmas airport at mid-day and count cross party politicians, academics and activists in their number.
& are probably right now in Morocco arguing with officials. They are arguing with the airline Binter too. The visit was frustrated they say, on July 20 by the airline company.

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A sahawari youth, Hammu Rahali, (20 years) has died of injuries sustained in protests in May in Moroccan custody, he had been transferred to hospital the 23rd of June.

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Noting the gravity of the Rahali´s death the Spanish are continuing to press for a peaceful solution to this crises which has all the ingredients to provoke complete destabilisation of the region.
http://www.europapress.es/europa2003/noticia.aspx?cod=20050722231330&tabID=1&ch=69

by iosaf - (gan amhras a D(h)uine! an seanscheal arís.) Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:27

168 eurodeputies have signed a call for the release of the political prisoners listed above and Aminatu Haidar, a female long standing activists who various of the deputies have also nominated for the Sakharov human rights prize. Haidar was held in moroccan detention for four years after being kidnapped by secret police in 1987. She is currently in detention since being arrested on release from hospital the 17th of June 2005.
She is a key activist of the Moroccan Human Rights organisation (link at bottom of article above).
This time she has been transformed into the female face of Western Sahara by the Moroccan media who are breaking the taboos of silence of the King Hassan the second era. & the "glasnost" is being noted. It now appears that the "intellectuals" were / are serious.

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Meanwhile in Congress question time, a question by IU (the most left party affiliated to ICV the calatan green marxist coalition partner) exposed arms sales by the Aznar regime to the Muhumad VI state of various types including rifles with jeep mountings and armoured vehicles for the nominal price of 1euro per unit.

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All visas for the forthcoming attempted Spanish Congress mission are prepared.
But IU have today said they believe the "freedom of movement" conditions will be ignored by Rabat.

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Muhumad VI has today condemned terrorism [with a special message to London]
http://www.lematin.ma/journal/article.asp?id=natio&ida=50416

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A Guantanamo & European prisoners article is being prepared.

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Algerian press opt for UN solution after their Spanish ministerial visit little article with references to the gas pipeline to the region, one must remember that Algeria, Southern Morocco, and Western Sahara are rich in oil and gas reserves and the european and globalised interests in this area of conflict and impovrishment are pretty "seanscéal" (as previous commentator duine put it in Irish "old story = old hat")

by Duine Wed Jul 20, 2005 19:20

B'fhada an lá ó léigh mé i dtaobh na caismirte seo.
Molaim an duine a chur suas é.

by :-) i Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:59

(sorry about the photo it is the place just not the day)
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1) Last night the Moroccan government revoked the journalist permit of Al Jazeera correspondent Abdeslam Razak, (he is a Saharawi) after he reported the protests by Human Rights group on the detention of Ali Salem Tamek (arrested the 18th of July Tamek had formerly been a prisoner of conscience on the referendum question & had been releaed on a royal amnesty decree last year).

2) the townsfolk of Assa organised a demo. for the release of Ali Salem Tamek and all political prisoners. It was met violently by Moroccan authorities with 4 reported injuries and 2 arrests.

3) the town of El Aaiun saw a demo which 20 minutes after beginning saw a violent response from the Moroccans. One named seriously wounded.

4).- the townsfolk of Dajla. Same story, demonstration and violent repression 3 named arrests.

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The leader of Polisario, Mohamed Abdelaziz, is reported in spanish press Wednesday 19th as having sent a letter to UN secretary General Kofi Annan calling for the release of Alí Salem Tamek and Aminetou Haida, and all political prisoners, and reporting a new wave of military and police oppression in the Western Sahara whilst reminding all that May 21 there has been an increase in repression. He has called on MINURSO, the UN body responsible for a referendum to assume efficiently its responsibilities and safeguard the security, human rights and political rights of Western Saharans. He has called for access to the region by rights groups, and political observers to be opened [by the Moroccan authorities].

This follows a previous letter sent May 26th. c/f
http://canarias.indymedia.org/mod/comments/display/13301/index.php

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Morocco reported late last night through MAP its state press agency and RTM the state TV station that 4 of its soldiers held in the Polisario "Rabouni" detention "centre" in the refugee camps of Tinduf , southern Algeria had escaped and returned on foot to Morocco after 18 years detenion, torture and forced labour. The reports did not specify how the soldiers had evaded their captors.

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English readers & speakers can follow news directly from the Polisario people here-
http://www.wsahara.net/news.html
Spanish updates are available on Canarias or Madiaq indymedia centres. click the button at the bottom of your screen.

by Terell Owens - Eagles Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:48

1. The location of the POWs is well known. They are in Rabouni and are visited by the ICRC on regular occasions.

2. Abdelaziz announced the release of the POWs in LeMonde. This was later seemly reversed in a statement from the POLISARIO rep in Algeria. There is significant opposition within POLISARIO over releasing the POWs as many feel they have given away everything while Morocco has made no concessions. (For a while Morocco officially denied there were any POWs held by the POLISARIO. Then when it became too obvious - they refused to take them back. Then when they saw the PR value they began a campaign of how the POWs were being abused. POLISARIO also says there are something like 300 of its people held secretly by the Moroccan state)

2. The photo you posted is not from 18 July. It is from the demonstrations last month. Though it is true that there were demonstrations on the 18th

3. Most importantly, Morocco is no longer proposing a transitional period of autonomy followed by a referendum for independence. It now offers only autonomy or nothing- with no referendum ever (since under the new Royal Law any discussion of independence for any territory it considered part of Morocco would now be illegal)- in violation of its own signed agreements.

by iosaf Tue Jul 19, 2005 20:16

The Spanish minister for foreign affairs and development has today as part of a five nation tour of western and northern africa in Algeria made a statement on the deteriorating situation in Western Sahara. Noting the excellent relations between Algeria and Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos expressed the fears of many in the mediterranean region that the current crises in the Moroccan state and Western Sahara if left un-attended will seek to further destabilise the region and european interests.
When pressed for specific comments he only said that "both Algeria and Spain are seeking a definite and final solution to the affair through international law".

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Meanwhile activists in both the strait and canary islands indymedia have reported the arrest of the human rights acitivist Alí Salem Tamek, known to the western Saharans as "Daddach" on his arrival to el Aaiún airport Western Sahara. Fresh allegations of torture and rape have also been made against the Moroccan secret police in the case of noted activist Banda Deida.

Western Saharan "resistance" activists in the canary island archipelago ( Spanish state) are decrying a situation where violence is daily and abuses of torture, rape and oppression are now so serious that they seem certain to provoke extremist reactions...

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The USA extradited Lahcen Ikassrien, a former inmate of Guantanamo to Spain in the last 24 hours. The moroccan citizen figured on a list of suspects headed by Imad Eddin Barakat, 'Abu Dahdah' connected to the financial support network of both the Casablanca May 2003 and Madrid March 2004 bombings sought by Judge Garzon. In the absence of Garzon (on sabitical in NYC) Lahcen Ikassrien's cae will be heard in Madrid this Friday. Spain is insistent that the evidence against the accused justifies its trial of the suspect in a Spanish court.
Both Lahcen Ikassrien and Imad Eddin Barakat were known to be in Turkey in 2000 thereafter travelling to Afghanistan. According to Turkish authorities both men shared a flat in Istanbul in September and october 2000 with Said Berraj, Amer Azizi and Salahedin Benyaich, 'Abu Mughen', (in Moroccan detention for the Casablanca bombings).

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What could be termed in english "the select foreign affairs comittee of Spain" met today in Madrid to discuss an official delegation to Western Sahara noting that all previous attempts by "regional government delegations" have been blocked by the Moroccan authorities. The delegation would be at the highest diplomatic level to so far attempt to see what exactly are the conditions on the ground there. The delegation have linked an invitation by the Moroccan chamber of commerce seeking additional development co-operation with a visit to Western Sahara with *unconditional freedom of movement and access to activists". For their part the Moroccan government in response to criticism from within its own state, and the neighbouring enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary islands has today launched an intensive "justification of moroccan nationality for the western Sahara" campaign with its embassies insisting globally that conditions on the ground do not allow a referendum. It is proposing a semi-autonomous region for an interim period of 5 years and then a referendum.

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Polisario, the western Saharan "government in exile" and armed front (one of the founders of which signed the call to intellectuals which started this article) has said it will release 408 moroccan prisoners of war who have been held in captivity since the 1975 war. The whereabouts of these 408 POWs is not known, but over 2000 POWs were taken during the war, many of those released alledged they were tortured by Western Saharans.

150,000 refugees remain living thirty years later in the Tindouf camp city in Algeria.

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any comments? questions? criticisms?

el Aaiun 18 july 2005 demonstration in Matalaa for release of Alí Salem Tamek.

by intellektshualiiii = i = iosaf Tue Jul 19, 2005 13:36

On may 23 Hafi Mahmud El Keinnan a leading Sawahari righst activists was transferred to a prison in Agadir an event which caused a revolt in El Aaiún (western sahara) and thus a new stage in the conflict which has been marked by frustration of diplomatic means and the refusal to hold a referendum was opened.
Western Saharan youth live under what they term an *apartheid* regime. The revolt of May 23 2005 not only saw denounced the prison transfer of El Keinnan but the continuing hostility to human rights observers [c/f article above the catalan government delegation were refused access the same week that the irish Dail delegation were refused access to Palestine].
Various Moroccan security forces such as the police, the GUS (urban police force) the Majzen and secret police. Who sealed off the towns of Matalla and Zemia. The revolt was followed by demonstrations in the Western Saharan towns of Dajla, Smara and in the moroccan towns of Tantan, Assa, Gulimín, and the university campuses of Agadír, Marrakesh and Rabat. Protest was also seen in Ceutá.
June 17th saw the 35 anniversary of the Zemia revolt called the "Zemia intifada" a peacful campaign for the referendum which was put down by with live rounds.
This June representatives of the Western Sahara friends organisation, R.A.S.D. and C.E.A.S. Sahara came to Barcelona to press the Western Saharan cause across 3 days of conferences under such titles as "a forgotten conflict, a stagnant conflict, a forgotten people, an ignored conflict". They took the front rows of the subsequent demonstration calling for a "sea of rights, no to war, no to occupation" (palestine & iraq).

A hunger strike which had begun on june 15th was soon followed by another on june 20th supported by 28 and 117 prisoners respectively. The hunger strikes were called to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Aminetu Haidar a human rights activist who though seriously injured is being held by the Moroccan security forces.
The Spanish government has said it is monitoring that situation, but as ought be clear the "diplomatic routes are frustrated".
There are numerous human rights groups who are taking renewed interest and many of them based in spain have attempted to make the journey the last to be turned back was from Andalusia on the 25th of June made up of PSOE and local regional politicians they were not allowed to disembark from their plane and on the 26th returned home.

There are numerous media organisations calling for attention. The reporters without borders group RSF have reported the moroccan government "systematic obstruction of journalism in the former spanish colony". The Moroccan state index is thus now "serious", (two down from zimbabwe "virtually impossible)
TVE, (spanish state tv), Al Jazeera, France Press, Reuters, the Moroccan "Asahifa" weekly magazine (whose editor signed the call for integrity in the articel above) and our own Indymedia have added their voices to the list of those who report serious problems.

Since April 2002 at least 10 professional journalists have been detained, threatened and expelled from El Aaiún (western Sahara).

The referendum possibility is based on two USA policy initiatives under Secretary Baker 1991 and 1997. Mohamed VI the Alauí monarch of Morocco has refused to allow these to be celebrated.

These Baker initiatives show the extent of the US as a powerbroker in the north african region, the western sahara problem including 3 states and many nations.
Morocco, Spain, Algeria and El Aaiún itself.

Comparison can be made between the pacific diplomacy of former US governments and the current Bush regime in the region. Algeria has traditionally defended the rights of Western Sahara and a good deal of the Western Sahara population live in refugee camps in Algerian territory, (such as a good deal of Palestinians live in Jordan and a good deal of Afghanis live in Pakistan.)

Western Saharans themselves (tell me) (I tell you) believe the current US strategy of "democratisation" in the maghreb is shifting focus from support of the Alauí regime of Morocco, who was courted for support of the illegal invasion of Iraq and is now shifting to Algeria, whose wealth in gas and oil has attracted many recent co-operation deals with the EU and Spain under Aznar. Relations between Morocco and Zapatero began in response to the occupation of the perijl island bird sanctuary less than 3 km from the Moroccan shore, (perijil = parsley or Laia in arabic) by armed moroccan police agents, an incursion into spanish sovreignity which saw the then Spanish government send marines to retake it.
Zapatero travelled to Rabat in the weeks thereafter and enjoye his audience with Muhumad VI a room adorned by a map which sent a simple message.
The map showed Morocco as one unitary "nation-state" stretching from Western Sahara to the Canary islands in the Atlantic and the enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and naturally the islands of Laia.

Since then, diplomacy has been less overtly nationalist jingoist or irrendtist. There are many ethnic identities in Morocco excluding Western Sahara, whomever might think that the enclaves of Ceuta or Melilla are "ethnically moroccan" can not argue that the Canary islands are anything but "canarian" at this stage. And using such arguments no-one can still place the Berber or Amazigh communities neatly into such "one state one nation" analogies. Perhaps the point of the "intellectuals of Morocco's call in El Pais of July 17th 2005".

*******************************************************

I do hope that helps anyone who felt like they didn't know enough. One can not discuss this issue in isolation, the only options for settlement appear to be save international intervention, a change within the Moroccan state itself. And I remind all that Moroccan writers asked that all respect their "transition to democracy" and use their "integrity" when calling for a referendum in Western sahara and refusing a call for a referendum in the Basque.
I also hope sincerely that those interested in the western Sahara work to make known the plight of the people there, but also to discuss Morocco.
To discuss Morocco as Algeria as Libya as all states of the North Africa and see the underlying pressure in these communities which the current US adminstration has put, with its Middle East policy and illegal war on Iraq.

I will continue to update this thread with information on all Morocco and Western Sahara.
I recommend visiting the indymedia site for "el madiaq" the straits between north africa and the iberian peninsula. The current feature article in arabic and spanish deals with these questions.

http://madiaq.indymedia.org/

by iosaf Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:40

I started the thread so I can't really be accused of hijacking it. I started the thread to show the parallels between ignorance of north african affairs and to deepen understandings of "all moroccan issues".
I wrote at the end of the article, "I will update with information on _all morocco_".

The upswing interest in sawahari affairs is not due to a policy office being opened in Spain, personally I noted their vocal presence at the first Mediterranean Social Forum in Barcelona June16th- 19th (a month ago) and have noticed articles published from our alternative migrant press, our mainstream commercial press and on sunday this full page advert. Being aware that the following day UK intellectuals would see published a critical appraisal of the UK's approach to islam, linking the bombings of July 7 by 3 britons of pakistani descent and one jamaican muslim convert on London, I published it with a certain title which is important.

& I will go on updating it in that way. I see no wrong in giving readers information on Ceuta, doubting that Ceuta merits its own article on indmedia ireland, & no-one who understands these issues in Western sahara (or has listened & talked to their acitivists) can discuss Western Sahara without Morocco. In short I think "What a sad criticism". Is your world so simplistic that you would discuss antrim without ulster, derry without Ireland, the british isles without reference to religious cultures?

That young man means as much to young Moroccans and young Sawaharis in their world vision than the whole writing staff of "le soir".
And he was released a year ago. And most Irish readers probably wouldn't have recognised the flag either.

by Chekov Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:47

This statement was written by some extremely tame intellectuals. The basic message seems to be that dispossessing the saharawi is fine because Spain still has colonial holdings in Morocco. Not exactly a very principled position, and presumably one that was orchestrated by the Moroccan state.

by Terell Owens - Eagles Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:41

Faced with the prospect of an honest discussion about media and intellectual honesty of Morocco over the question of Western Sahara, and you have no choice but to highjack this thread into an anti-Iraq forum? There are plenty of those forums out there which will be happy to have your postings.

Have you nothing to say on the illegal and immoral actions of Morocco against the people of Western Sahara, and the seeming complete silence, and therefore complicity of the Moroccan media and intellectual community?

Does it not bother you that a law will be enacted to make debate about Western Sahara inside Morocco illegal- when Morocco itself has signed two agreements to allow a free referendum for the people on the issue of independence?

Does it not concern you that the former King of Morocco said that as far as he was concerned ‘the rights of man stopped at the question of Western Sahara’? Does it not worry you that freedom of the press is guaranteed only if there is no view which opposes the palace?

Does it not make you wonder why Morocco is allowed to use riot police to beat and arrest peaceful demonstrators in a territory for which it has no legal administrative rights? (and yes the actions of the police are on film)

Do you have an opinion on this?

by i Mon Jul 18, 2005 16:08

He was just exploring the rough guides and exotic places of his global world, one of brothers and sisters in a millenial faith of such integrity that it seems fanatical to western secularists so used to western materialism and hollywood movies have they become.

"he was in the wrong place at the wrong time"
ok.
THE UK IS IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.

= leave iraq.

Hamed Abderraman Ahmed - 2 yrs in Guantanamo. 1 yr more in prison. Now a hero.

by iosaf Mon Jul 18, 2005 16:02

It has now been one year since the release of Hamed Abderraman Ahmed, a native of Ceuta [the enclave of 28km squared in Morocco under Spanish sovereignty since 1668] who was arrested by US soldiers in Afghanistan and detained there for four months prior to being transferred to Guantánamo bay island (a US naval base, ceded by Spain in 1898).
He was held in Guantánamo for 2 years.

Balthazar Garzón, the then Spanish State Prosecutor and is famous beyond Spain for many reasons which include -
*his detention order served in 1998 on Pinochet (Chilean Dictator 1974-1988) which led to him being held in England that year. Garzón is also famous for implementing *the "complete criminalisation process" of ETA and Basque seperatism which led to the illegalisation of the political wings of ETA and the closure of the only Basque language newspaper during the final years of Aznar's government.

on the 27th of February 2004 Garzón succeeded in extraditing the Ceutan from Guantánamo bay to Spain, where he was held in the Madrid prison Alcalá-Meco. There he was subject to interrogation by the Judge Garzón, and a variety of psychological tests.

Garzón released the young man one year ago (29 years of age) amidst harsh criticism of the illegality and arbitrary nature of his detention by the USA of this man, and with a surety of 3,000€.

In the last year all charges against him were dropped, he got his 3,000€ bail back and became a local hero to the community of Ceuta and Morocco for his *resistance* to US imperialism and anti-Islam.

Only a journalist, politician, or academic who comments on public affairs without integrity,
that is an absolute coward would fail to make the connections. More moroccan youngsters as they deal with the fortification of their encalve borders, their slow transition to democratic values, their oppressive secret police, their assocation for investment with the USA and Europe which leaves them one of the highest unemployment rates in northern africa, and near 40% illiteracy have idolised Hamed Abderraman Ahmed, and to condemn the west, both the USA of Bush and the Europe led by UK prime minister Blair merely have to point to his experience.

Garzón is currently in NYC on an official sabatical to fulfill his own request to the Spanish government to be allowed teach American law enforcement agencies and prosecutors about how to tackle what is loosely termed "al qaeda".
We presume he would have made considerable reference to the nature of interrogation techniques being used by the USA and its operatives that helong held to be contrary to the norms of international human rights practise and _abusive_.

I wrote a very long time ago, that:-
"they can-not prosecute their war".
By which I meant the US/UK had not the means, be they military, cultural, legal, or political to wage the war Bush envisioned.

This has been proven yet again by the news that the UK can not extradite an egyptian suspect of the July7 bombing, at the same time that it emerges that Germany may not extradite to Spain one of the Madrid 11 suspects. The "war on terror" relied on illegality, on "changing our way of life" from the first moment.

It is a sad sign of this that in the last three months IItaly is rocked by the scandal of the CIA kidnapping suspects to aviod the legal requirements of extradition, and the presence of a post Madrid 11 extra-official secret police group, the existence of which makes a mockery of "our way of life".

The legal war supported by un resolution on Afghanistan was followed by an illegal camp of dubious purpose where abuses of prisoners and the arbitary nature of their detenion has further fueled the most grevious feelings of wrong in the global muslim community.

The war on Iraq was illegal and has not been followed by any of the proper trans-national institutional mechanisms, thus further fueling the most grevious feelings of wrong in the global muslim community.

The attempt to celebrate democratic elections which for their success relied on the participation of Kurdish groups who are closely connected with terrorist acts in Turkey further underlines the illegality & illegitimacy of the Bush regime's foreign policy, a policy which to succeed needed the compliance of the UK led by Blair.

& through all of that, the illegally occupied territories of Palestine yet prove to be the rock of salt which is wedged in the grevious wounds.

It is time for the European states who contribute to "the coalition of the willing" to recognise they have been willing fools in the most serious foreign policy misadventure in modern history.

It is time to leave Iraq.

by Terrell Owens - Eagles Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:24

Integrity seems to be term lost on both the Moroccan intellectual community and as well as its media when its comes to Western Sahara. We have read with great amusement the stories coming from MAP and Morocco Times claiming that there are uprisings of 1000’s against POLISARIO in the camps- while international witnesses actually in the camps report nothing unusual is going on, that the military commanders of the POLISARIO are staging a coup on the SADR Minister of Defence- while photos of them all laughing together holding up the article are available and so on.

There have even been story’s about POLISARIO selling the organs of its own children- a story that should be next to those about sea monsters and bigfoot- but Morocco seems to have so little respect for the intelligence of its people that it prints these ‘reports’ as real news.

It is worth remembering that Morocco has signed two agreements to allow the people of the territory to hold a referendum- and has refused to honour either of them. It is also worth noting that a new law proposed by the king would make any political party or organization that does not recognize Western Sahara as part of Morocco- illegal. Debate is not allowed in a dictatorship.

by Tacoma USA Sun Jul 17, 2005 23:47

This has probably come about because a Center for Western Sahara Studies has recently opened in Spain.

This has obviously been organized by the Moroccan state to counter the founding of this unique center for Western Saharan studies -- Africa's last colony.

The Moroccan state, its 'intellectuals' and its 'journalists' are angry because this presents a challenge to their country's claim to -- and occupation of -- the Western Sahara.

The reaction is not all that different from the way an Israeli intellectual might react to the creation of a Center for Palestine Studies. But at least in Israel their is dissent (e.g., Ilan Pappe).

In Morocco, people who dissent are either tortured or 'disappear'.

Academic freedom in Morocco is very limited; no Moroccan academic could hold a position in a Moroccan university if they challenged the Moroccan claim on the Western Sahara.

The Moroccan state even monitors the actions of Moroccan academics that work in the US and the UK -- to police their political beliefs and threaten their families back in Morocco.

by i Sun Jul 17, 2005 20:51

To not only those in the Spanish state but many more in Europe and many more in the "Muslim world". I'm not going to suggest its a watershed or historic. Its not unusual in US media at least to see lists of noteworthies, VIPS, former this and that append their names to thinktank documents. & so I noted there were no "former this or that" names on the list. Its mostly the writing staff of the mainstream press which operates in arabic, french and too a much lesser extent spanish. Would we get excited if the writing staff of the Irish mainstream press published a full page advert in the Observer or sunday Le Monde calling for "intellectual integrity"?
No. We wouldn't. But Morocco has over 40% illiteracy.
That colours the weight of these individuals, and suggests questions as to how they have come together. The Western Sahara, yes. But not just that. They have thought to make a direct parallel between "spanish intellectual" treatment of the basque and of morocco in total. They did so through the only newspaper founded since the transition. They did so through the establishment.
How much does a page advert cost?
One could make just an easy parallel between the "british intellectual" treatment of the _____ and of _____ in total. And that those journalists and academics (of the usual sort of university department) would use their space "on the sahawari" and mention the basque, ceuta, melilla, gibraltar suggests something to me. & not just in my little ears, it will prompt a reaction this week topped with parsley (perijil in español laia in arabic) from a certain thinktank called FAES led by little mister Aznar who today just like the moroccans was talking about the basque and keeping his little eyes off Ceuta on those who would wish dismember España.

These literate moroccans are asking for "our integrity". Because if I read their curious little note aright, they don't believe intellectuals know borders. They asked for "your integrity" as much as any spanish intellectual. What would palestinian or iraqi intellectuals say if the conditions were right in their full page advert? Would they make mention of our "internal politics", or make irrendist claims on our territorial integrity after hundreds of years?

I wonder.............