Washington contacts with Morocco and Spain for peaceful settlement of islet issue

The US Department of State said on Wednesday close consultations have been held with both sides (Morocco and Spain) over the Moroccan Mediterranean islet of Leila to reach a peaceful settlement.

The department of state's spokesman, Richard Boucher, said at the daily press briefing "we're trying to help the parties, our friends on both sides, work this out in a peaceful manner." "We have consulted closely with both sides in pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to this issue. The Secretary has been in close contact, frequent touch with the Foreign Ministers of Spain and Morocco by telephone, over the past few days," he said.

In New York, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he has been following "with concern" recent developments between Morocco and Spain and stands available to help the two countries at their request, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday.

Annan "regrets any unilateral action taken so far and hopes that both parties will adhere to their original undertaking to resolve the issue through peaceful means," spokesperson Hua Jiang said. The Secretary-General, who has been in contact with leaders on both sides, "stands ready to offer his good offices should the two sides so desire," the spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, at dawn, helicopters of the Spanish army, supported by several gunboats, landed on the Moroccan islet of Leila, located at 150 meters off the Moroccan coast, violating Morocco's air space and territorial waters. The Spanish forces captured six Moroccan security agents posted there on July 11 on a surveillance mission to monitor drug trafficking, illegal immigration and other unlawful acts going on in the Gibraltar strait. The Moroccan gendarmes were forcefully embarked by Spanish troops which set them free near the occupied Moroccan city of Sebta.