Rumsfeld ends visit to Morocco, urges to face al-Qaeda
Morocco-USA, Politics, 2/14/2006

US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld who ended a visit to Morocco said that his country wants to strengthen military relations with the countries of the region in order to limit threats embodied by al-Qaeda organization.

In a press conference he held after his meeting with the Moroccan king in Evran palace in the Atlantic mountains, he said that the possibility of al-Qaeda organization and other extremist groups stationed in North Africa is very little.

Rumsfeld who concluded a tour covered Tunis, Algeria and Morocco said that each of the three states, runs its own affairs in a way that makes the possible existence of al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in North Africa very small.

Rumsfeld stressed that the three Arab Maghreb states "achieved a great progress and show ability to live in peace and dealing successfully with the problem of terrorism." During the visit files of military cooperation and fighting what is called by Washington as terrorism overwhelmed other topics.

Rumsfeld's visit was preceded by a tour for the director of the office of the Federal Investigation Bureau, Robert Mueller, for each of Algeria, Morocco and Tunis amid news of the possibility of establishing American military bases in Mauritania as part of the security arrangements in the Arab Maghreb and Africa.

Rumsfeld's departure of Morocco coincided with the arrival of the British foreign office secretary for Morocco in order to discuss regional security affairs and challenging terrorism.

Previous Stories:
  Rumsfeld in Morocco after Algeria and Tunisia   (2/13/2006)
  'Ties between Morocco and the United States are getting stronger', King   (7/5/2005)
  Moroccan expats in US protest against Algeria   (7/2/2005)

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