Morocco respectful of law in counter-terror campaign, Premier

Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, said here Monday, Morocco is conducting a merciless campaign against terror but it is keen to use only law as a weapon.

"Morocco has endured the anguish of terrorism. May 16 is undoubtedly still in all minds. We have engaged in a fight, a merciless struggle against terrorism, in collaboration with countries waging the same fight, while keen to use only law as a weapon," Jettou told a joint press conference with his French peer, Jean Pierre Raffarin, at the end of the 6th French-Moroccan heads of government meeting.

The Moroccan official noted that "several hundreds" of arrests were conducted part of the counter-terror campaign, launched following the terrorist attacks that rocked the city of Casablanca in May 2003. The attacks killed 45 people, including 12 suicide bombers.

"I am not ashamed to say that we register breaches from time to time, but fortunately only a limited number," he said, insisting that these cases are treated within the framework of the law.

According to Jettou, probes are conducted regularly and the "appropriate measures are taken against people responsible for such acts."

He added that the same will be applied on the five cases cited in the report of Amnesty International (AI) on cases of breaches in Morocco.

Three of these five cases were already cited in the report of the official Human Rights Advisory Council (CCDH), which was published several days before Amnesty International's report, he said.

There is no impunity and no going backward, Jettou insisted, saying that, on the contrary, there is a confirmation of a strict respect of human rights in Morocco.

Jettou stressed that great strides were made since King Mohammed VI ascended the throne in 1999, particularly in human rights.

Last week, Moroccan Justice Minister, Mohammed Bouzoubaa, said the "five cases" of breaches mentioned in AI's report are "rare and isolated," given the large number of people, nearly 2,000, arrested under the counter-terror law.

Asked about an Al-Qaeda threat in the Maghreb, Jettou said Morocco "has the situation under control and has no particular concern concerning its entire territory."