Rumsfeld in Morocco after Algeria and Tunisia
Morocco-USA, Politics, 2/13/2006

Amid denunciation and condemnation of scores of Moroccans, the US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Rabat on Sunday in a two day visit. This was in a course of a tour led him to Tunis and Algeria where he had met with the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika, and stressed his country's military cooperation with Algeria in the field of fighting terrorism.

One diplomatic source in Algeria said that Rumsfeld's talks with the leaders of the three Arab Maghreb states concentrated on blocking "Moroccan suicide bombers" from joining Iraq's insurgents and fighting illegal sneaking of expatriates to Europe, and backing future military and intelligence between the NATO and these states.

One prominent official accompanying Rumsfeld stressed that Washington discusses the possibility of selling military equipment to Algeria in the field of "terrorism fighting."

Scores of Moroccans observed a protest sit in before the headquarters of the parliament in which they chanted slogans deploring Rumsfeld's visit and holding him responsible for "imperialist crimes against peoples especially in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan." Rumsfeld is expected to meet today with the Moroccan king Muhammad VI.

In Tunis, Rumsfeld met with the Tunisian Persident Zine al-Abidin Ben Ali and the defense minister Kamel Murjan. Talks concentrated on the talks on the Iranian file and the political reforms in Tunisia. The two sides reviewed developments in Iraq, Palestine and the Middle East. Before departing Tunisia, Rumsfeld visited the American cemetery near the ruins of the ancient Tunisian city of Carthage.

Previous Stories:
  Washington re-open its consulate in Algeria   (10/24/2005)
  'Ties between Morocco and the United States are getting stronger', King   (7/5/2005)
  Moroccan expats in US protest against Algeria   (7/2/2005)
  USCRI deplores Algeria's denial of freedom to Tindouf camps detainees   (6/30/2005)
  Al Hayat: US engages dialogue solely with legal Islamist movements, US official   (6/23/2005)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search