Mountain View CEO tapped for Morocco ambassador
US charity donates $ 18,500 to Moroccan associations
Morocco cut by 90% trachoma prevalence among children, health experts
USAID to launch $30 million program to assist Morocco
H.M. King Mohammed VI Dedicates Handicraft Compound, Sports Facilities in Oujda
Think-thank predicts budget deficit to exceed 3% of gdp in 2003
WB President "Impressed" by H.M. King's Amendments to Family Law
Locust Situation in Morocco Calm, Official
Morocco-designed giant red ribbon to be unrolled at London town hall
Morocco's FM Meets US Officials
Morocco's bio farm exports increase in 2001-2002
First women to give Ramadan religious lecture says she was picked for academic criteria
Morocco and EIB Sign 140 Million Euro Financing Conventions
Morocco Committed to Human Rights Promotion (Minister)
Morocco's power utility gets two more generators
New family code has rendered justice to Moroccan women, says royal advisor
Morocco Incepts Two Departments to Tighten Fight Against Human Trafficking Webs
First tourist packages to Morocco since intifada
Justice department mulls partnership with enterprises to employ prisoners
Morocco Expresses Reservations about WB report on Justice Reform
Justice and Reconciliation Commission will Help Definitively Close HR Violation Cases
Morocco Committed to Ban Torture, Says Ambassador
Morocco continues to lure Hollywood filmmakers despite regional turmoil
Details of the liberalization of Morocco's air transport sector will be announced in few weeks
Morocco has strong political will to liberalize information sector, minister
Moroccan Human Rights Groups Criticize Anti-Terrorist Laws Lisa Schlein
Moroccan September trade deficit swells 19 percent
Morocco to dig out past torture cases, abuses
Amnesty International delegates to speak about sharp rise in torture in Morocco

Mountain View CEO tapped for Morocco ambassador

Tom Riley, the CEO of Mountain View's Active Photo and a Palo Alto resident, has been nominated by President George W. Bush to be the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. Riley and Bush are old friends from Harvard Business School. Riley's nomination requires Senate confirmation but he's expecting the vote to happen any day now. For the past month, he's been reading daily press summaries from Morocco to bring himself up to speed on the north African country that may soon be home to this Peninsula native. Riley grew up in Atherton, attended Stanford University, and has lived in Palo Alto for 23 years. "This is very exciting, but I'm working for the government and that's about as different from Silicon Valley as you can imagine," said Riley. Rabat, Morocco and Silicon Valley may share hot and sunny weather, but the two places are obviously worlds apart. "I can't just go down to the Starbucks and get coffee. I have armed guards that go with me and a bullet proof car," Riley said. He said he is looking forward to the challenges of the new job and believes "there is an opportunity for me to make a difference," he said. Riley plans to move to Rabat with his wife Nancy and Bailey, their border collie.
http://www.mv-voice.com/thisweek/2003_11_14.storyb.html
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US charity donates $ 18,500 to Moroccan associations
Local, 11/14/2003

US Charity "The American International Women Club of Casablanca", donated on Monday US$ 18,500 (185,000 DH) to 12 Moroccan associations active in children, family, and handicapped persons fields. The organization, part of a network that "serves as a support network for American women living and working abroad and is particularly active in the fields of U.S. citizens' concerns, education, environmental protection, and women's and children's rights." The largest donation (60,000 DH or US$ 6,000) went to the association of parents and friends of misadjusted children. The US association, comprising 130 members representing 29 countries, has given during the last six years grants worth over 3.2 million DH (US$320,000) to various Moroccan associations. "The American International Women Club of Casablanca" works to collect funds for local charity associations and promote development projects.
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Morocco cut by 90% trachoma prevalence among children, health experts
Health, 11/13/2003

Morocco is the most successful country in terms of eradicating trachoma so far, as a it has succeeded in cutting by 90% trachoma prevalence among children, say health experts.

Since 1999, Morocco has significantly reduced the prevalence of the disease and the country is on track to eliminate trachoma completely by the year 2005, said, here Tuesday, the American NGO "International Trachoma Initiative" (ITI) and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

At a joint press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, ITI and Pfizer congratulated Morocco for this "remarkable" and "encouraging"
performance, asserting that the objective set out by the kingdom to eradicate completely this disease by 2005 is within its reach.

They said that "the campaign of struggle against trachoma launched in Morocco's southern provinces does benefit from the support of H.M king Mohammed VI, from local authorities and from the Civil Society."

Pfizer has announced a major effort to eliminate the blinding eye condition by the year 2020. The target date was set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The highly contagious disease affects 150 million people around the world, and is the world's leading cause of preventable blindness.
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USAID to launch $30 million program to assist Morocco
Economics, 11/13/2003

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced Wednesday the launching of a five-year US $30 million (300 million Dhs) program to assist Morocco particularly in the economic realm. The program "will help implement the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) currently under negotiation with the USA, improve the general investment climate and develop small and medium enterprises" which will "translate into more jobs for Moroccans," USAID's assistant administrator for Asia and the Near East, Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, who is currently on a visit to Morocco, told a press conference in Rabat.

According to the US official, USAID also plans to help address illiteracy and basic education needs in Morocco, through "a program to support job skills training and create public and private partnerships that will link skills training to job placement." She also recalled the US government's intention to more than quadruple the non-military assistance to Morocco as announced during the visit to Morocco of US assistant secretary of state, William Burns. The monies will help strengthen Morocco's efforts to "open up greater economic, educational and political opportunities for all Moroccans," she said.  Chamberlin said talks she held on Tuesday talks with Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, and several Moroccan officials were "fruitful" and allowed to "explore where the US government might best target additional resources in the coming years."  Job creation, housing credits, rural development and educational improvements are the major concerns of Moroccans, she pointed out, underlining that these concerns will be taken into account to meet the aspirations of the Moroccan people.
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H.M. King Mohammed VI Dedicates Handicraft Compound, Sports Facilities in Oujda
OUJDA, Nov.13

H.M. King Mohammed VI dedicated here Thursday a 12.9 million dirham ($ 1.3 Mln) handicraft compound, aimed at promoting craftsmen activities and integrating them in production. The 14,809 m² compound, located in the Sidi Driss El Kadi commune, includes a training center, 80 shops, an exhibition hall, a cafeteria, green spaces and a parking lot. It was funded by the Northern Provinces Promotion Agency (9 million dirhams), the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity (2 Millions), the handicraft department (1 million) and the East Regional Council. Some 50,000 persons in eastern Morocco work in handicraft. The region also has 30 cooperatives with 977 members.

The sovereign later dedicated a 8.3 Million DH ($830,000) sports facilities for local clubs and the youths of the city. The facilities comprise stadiums for football, basketball, handball, and other dependencies. The project was financed by the Agency of Northern Provinces Development, the secretariat of state of Youth and the Oujda urban commune. The sovereign also inquired about equipment to be granted to sports associations. © MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Think-thank predicts budget deficit to exceed 3% of gdp in 2003
Economics, 11/13/2003

The Moroccan budget deficit will be considerable in 2003 and could exceed 3% of the GDP, says Moroccan think-thank "National Institute of juncture analysis." If the 2003 finance bill forecasts a budget deficit of 13.3 billion DH (around US$ 1.4 billion)-3% of the GDP, the non-payment of fiscal receipts will weigh on the overall balance.

The institute also forecasts fiscal returns to slow down in 2003 while non-fiscal receipts will increase. Fiscal receipts will rise by 1.9%, due to a slowing down of the major taxes performance and the decrease in customs duties.However, non-fiscal receipts will not reach the amount expected by the finance bill, after the privatization of "Banque Centrale Populaire" and of 16% of Morocco's phone company "Maroc Telecom" were delayed.

The institute also expects ordinary expenses to increase by 7.4% (after regressing in 202) while operating expenses will also grow by 8.7%. External debt services will continue to regress and subsidization efforts will remain relatively limited.
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WB President "Impressed" by H.M. King's Amendments to Family Law
RABAT, Nov.08

World Bank president, James Wolfensohn, said in a message to H.M. king Mohammed VI he was sincerely impressed by the Royal speech of last October 10, in which the sovereign proposed for parliament's debate sweeping changes to the family law.  The WB president also renewed the World Bank's will to work hard with the Moroccan government to fulfill commitments taken by the bank during a meeting last February between the WB president and H.M. King Mohammed VI. The message underscores that the initiative, which blends pertinently and harmoniously Morocco's traditional and religious values and the need to involve the entire Moroccan society in efforts for economic and social development, is a historic move forward for Morocco and Moroccans.  Wolfensohn also stressed that the sovereign's vision of a homogenous Morocco where all live forces, women and men, are on an equal footing in terms of rights, duties and responsibility, is a modern one and will "fulfill your ambition to endow the Moroccan people with development means."
© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Locust Situation in Morocco Calm, Official
RABAT, Nov.08

The locust situation in Morocco remains calm, with only a small area infested in the southern region of Aousserd, says Friday a release of the central anti-locust fight post. The source said "some sparse immature insects" coming from neighboring countries were spotted in the southern region of Tata. End of last month, a ministerial meeting was held to probe the threat of a locust outbreak and take preventive measures, after reports by FAO warned that desert locust outbreaks in Mauritania, Niger and Sudan may locally threaten crops and the pests may spread to neighboring countries. Desert locusts outbreaks were reported in areas of northwestern Mauritania, northern Niger and northeastern Sudan, FAO said. Desert locusts are normally solitary, scattered insects but when climatic conditions are favorable, for example after good rains and a mild temperature, they can rapidly increase in number, FAO said. After several years of drought, rains have expanded in the affected areas, the agency noted.
© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco-designed giant red ribbon to be unrolled at London town hall
Local, 11/13/2003

A giant red ribbon designed by five Moroccan stylists will be unrolled at London's town hall next December 1st, to mark the world anti-AIDS day. The 25-meter long ribbon will be presented in a ceremony held under the patronage of London's mayor, Ken Livingston, and former Moroccan tennis champ, Karim Alami. The initiative, sponsored by the Red Ribbon association and the Pan-African Association against AIDS (OPALS-Morocco), seeks to encourage young people to undergo AIDS tests, say organizers. Most of young people do not know the symbolism of this international emblem, and we have decided to create this giant red ribbon, they explained.
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Morocco's FM Meets US Officials
WASHINGTON, Nov.12

Morocco's minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, held here this Wednesday successive meetings with Elliot Abrams, US presidential advisor for the middle east, and US under-secretary of state for the Middle East and North Africa, William Burns. Talks dealt with bilateral issues, especially the Morocco-US free trade agreement scheduled to be concluded before end of this year. Other topics on the agenda included topical international issues, particularly the situation in the Middle East and in Africa.The two sides praised the good level of Morocco-US cooperation in all fields. Benaissa's meeting with US top officials of the US administration are part of regular contacts between the two countries. They come two weeks after William Burns paid a visit to Morocco where he was received by H.M. King Mohammed VI and met prime minister, Driss Jettou and foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa.
© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco's bio farm exports increase in 2001-2002
Economics, 11/13/2003

Morocco's exports of Bio products exports increased from 460 tons in 1995-1996 to 5,000 tons in 2001-2002, the National Federation of Agri-food said in its bulletin "Alimentarius." In a section dedicated to "bio markets," the publication says Morocco's exports of bio products have reached so far this year 3,672 T including 80% of early fruits and vegetables and 20% of citrus fruits. Bio farming covers limited areas with 642 ha last year, but are increasing with the demand, the association writes, adding that Morocco suffers a deficit in specialized technicians.
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First women to give Ramadan religious lecture says she was picked for academic criteria
Religion, 11/10/2003

Morocco's Rajaa Naji Mekkaoui, who was the first woman ever to give one of Ramadan religious lectures in the presence of King Mohammed VI, said she was chosen on the basis of scientific and academic criteria. My appointment to lecture in the presence of the sovereign on a socially, politically and religiously sensitive theme was made on a scientific and academic basis, she told UAE "Al Khaleej" paper which notes that it is the first time in Arab-Muslim history that a woman gives a religious lecture in the presence of King Mohammed VI, scholars and diplomats.

Prof. Mekaoui, a university teacher, talked in her lecture about "The universality of the family structure in a world of multiple distinctive features." She explained that the lecture theme is linked to the reforms that the sovereign brought to the family law last October 10 as well as to the reactions they triggered, adding that a book she had written was taken as a reference for the reform. The book is titled "family issues between justice and legislation, abundance of interpretations, deficit in procedures and disparity in enforcement."

She went on that her selection to give the lecture was a premiere in the Islamic world where only men had the privilege of talking about religious issues, despite the contribution of competent women in the field. She also explained that the lecture was meant to convey a message on the need to serve family interests and put an end to media-political controversies and political parties' overbidding, stressing that under Islamic law family is given a prominent importance and should not be subjected to any kind of injustice. In her analysis, Mrs Mekkaoui congratulated the monarch for his "great role" in reforming the family code that gives women more rights.

The Ramadan religious lectures were instituted by the late king Hassan II in the eighties. They are attended by members of the government, high ranking military officials, foreign ambassadors accredited to Rabat and guests from the Muslim World. Quoting observers, the paper said a woman lecturing in the presence of King Mohammed VI, Amir Al-Muminine (commander of the faithful) is itself "a cultural revolution, a multi-dimensional message evidencing openness and a will to deepen modernity, as a strategic choice requiring the participation of women in all the society's decisive affairs."
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Morocco and EIB Sign 140 Million Euro Financing Conventions
RABAT, Nov.10

Morocco and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed in Naples two financing conventions, worth 140 million Euros, for a highway project and a vocational training center. The conventions were signed in the fringes of the 3rd session of the economic dialogue and coordination committee of the Euro-Mediterranean facility of investment and partnership held this November 10-12 in the Italian city of Naples. Under the conventions, the EIB will contribute 110 million Euro to the Settat-Marrakesh 160 km-long highway and 30 million Euro to building vocational training centers in the Kingdom. By supporting the construction of vocational training centers, the EIB means to help Moroccan authorities in the implementation of its training policy, as a crucial tool for upgrading the Moroccan economy competitiveness. With the loan, several vocational training centers will be built to meet enterprises needs in continuous training.
© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco Committed to Human Rights Promotion (Minister)
Rabat, Nov 11

Morocco's commitment to Human rights has enabled it establish new relations with it international partners, said, here Monday, Moroccan minister of Human rights. Mohamed Aujjar who was receiving the official delegation heading for Geneva to present Morocco's third periodic report on the convention of struggle against torture, recalled the important efforts made by Morocco to consolidate human rights and the rule of law.

He said the discussion of the third periodic report on the convention against torture comes at a time when Morocco has made important achievements, citing in this regard the reform of the "Conseil consultatif des droits de l'homme" (human rights advisory group, CCDH), the creation of the "Diwan Al Madhalim" (Ombudsman), and the committee in charge of compensating victims of arbitrary detentions and disappearances in the past.

The Moroccan minister recalled the cooperation relations with Morocco's UN partners as well as with national, regional and international organizations, such as Amnesty international to promote human rights education. The Moroccan delegation is made up of representatives from the Ministries of Human rights, Justice and the Interior.
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Morocco's power utility gets two more generators
Morocco, Economics, 11/11/2003

The Moroccan Electricity Office (ONE) reinforced its production capacity with two generators located in the Ahmed EL Hansali-Ait Messaoud station, region of Beni Mellal (southeast of Casablanca). The new generators will produce an extra 234 million kwh a year, which is 20 times as high as the consumption of Beni Mellal city. They will also avoid the emission in the atmosphere of 240,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 725 tons of acid rain-causing agents. The extra production will save the electricity public utility an annual 60,000 tons of fuel http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031111/2003111120.html
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New family code has rendered justice to Moroccan women, says royal advisor
Morocco, Politics, 11/13/2003

The new Family Code has come to render justice to the Moroccan woman and to consecrate the dignity of men and women, said an adviser to King Mohammed VI. Mrs Zoulikha Nasri who was addressing on Tuesday a meeting themed "the Family Code, which role for the Civil Society?" said reforming, for the first time, the 1957 Personal Status code (Mudawana), now called Family Code, is "a landmark that reflects the emergence of a modernist project based on the attachment to the Islamic reference and to democracy."

The reform of this code was announced by King Mohammed VI last October 10 at the opening of the parliament's fall session. Participants in the meeting insisted on the need to implement all the provisions of this code which has still to go to parliament for discussion. Termed as "revolutionary" the new Family Code that use a more modern wording, include raising the age of marriage age for girls to 18, places the family under the joint responsibility of spouses and imposes stringent conditions that make polygamy almost impossible.
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Morocco Incepts Two Departments to Tighten Fight Against Human Trafficking Webs
RABAT, Oct.10

H.M. King Mohammed VI gave on Monday instructions at a meeting on migration and human trafficking fighting for the inception of two
institutions: a Direction of Migration and borders surveillance and a Migration Observatory. The direction of migration and borders surveillance will be in charge of enforcing the national strategy to fight human trafficking networks through a national brigade of research and investigation, seven regional delegations in Tangiers, Tetouan, Hoceima, Nador, Larache, Oujda and Laayoune. The direction also includes local committees in charge of collecting migration-related data.

The prerogatives of the Observatory of migration consist mainly in drawing up the national strategy in the field. To this end, it will centralize all migration-related information, update a nationwide statistics database, propose concrete measures to stave off illegal migration, conduct studies and research projects on tendencies of migratory flows and disseminate periodic reports on migration. It will muster representatives from all concerned departments including the ministries of interior, foreign affairs, finance, justice, employment and communication, the Royal Armed Forces, Gendarmerie, customs, police and auxiliary forces.

H.M. the King also gave his instructions to endow the two newly-created institutions, that are both reporting to the interior ministry, with all the necessary human and material means for their investigation, surveillance, detection, coordination and intervention tasks. During the meeting, the sovereign insisted that the struggle against webs that organize illegal migration should be included as a priority in the government's action and recalled that this phenomenon is a breach of human dignity and the most basic human rights of persons whose dreams for a better life are unscrupulously exploited by criminal gangs.

Morocco has been steadily and firmly fighting illegal migration both through legislative and operational means. In this vein, it enacted in July 2002 a new law on migration that considers acts of illegal human trafficking as crimes and provides for more stringent sanctions against those found guilty of involvement in smuggling human beings.  The meeting was attended by the interior minister, delegate interior minister, the Royal Gendarmerie commander, and the inspector of the royal marine.
© MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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First tourist packages to Morocco since intifada Morocco Minister of Tourism Adid Douiri promised to approve the holiday packages organized by Flying Carpet.
David Hayoun 12 Nov 03 10:59

For the first time since the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000, groups of Israelis can go on organized tours of Morocco as of January 5, 2004. Flying Carpet reached an agreement with Moroccan tourism companies for two weekly flights via Barcelona through a Spanish company.
Flying Carpet owner and general manager Yaron Miller said Morocco Minister of Tourism Adid Douiri gave his blessing for the new arrangement and promised to approve the flights and tourist packages. The Moroccan tourism companies confirmed to "Globes" that an agreement had been reached with Flying Carpet. The Moroccan companies are responsible for marketing two of the luxury casino hotels in Marrakesh, Morocco's leading tourist destination. Before the intifada, most Israelis visited Morocco through organized tours. The new tours include holiday packages.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il  http://www.globes.co.il   - on November 12, 2003
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=740810&fid=942
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Justice department mulls partnership with enterprises to employ prisoners
Morocco, Culture, 11/13/2003

Justice Minister, Mohammed Bouzoubaa, said his department is probing establishing partnerships with economic operators to create jobs for prisoners. Speaking during question time of the House of representatives (parliament lower chamber), Bouzoubaa explained that the formula consists in creating production units within jails, after terms and wages are duly organized. Owners of these plants will provide the necessary equipment, he went on.  Convicts integration is closely linked to education, qualifications and the acquisition of skills, the minister said. He added that the ministry is also endeavoring to find jobs for inmates, as stipulated by law 32/89 regulating jails. Bouzoubaa announced the holding in 2004 of a national colloquy on penitentiary policy.
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Morocco Expresses Reservations about WB report on Justice Reform
Rabat, Nov 13

The Moroccan government has expressed some reservations about a report of the World Bank on the assessment of the judicial and juridical system in the kingdom, saying it contains "observations and conclusions that do not reflect reality". These reservations were expressed by Moroccan justice Minister at a meeting, here Tuesday, of the "orientation council" set up as part of a cooperation program with the World Bank for the reform of the justice system and improve the legal business environment.

Mohamed Bouzoubaa explained that the report contains "wrong or non updated data, and fails to mention the various achievements in the past years in the different aspects of the justice reform". He said that his department will convey these observations to the World Bank in order to include them in the report.

During the meeting which was also assessed the cooperation program with the World Bank, Bouzoubaa said this project costs 6.73 million dollars of which 5.3 millions are financed by the Moroccan government.  The program, he added, aims at modernizing justice of commerce and trade courts in Morocco.  Bouzoubaa said the project also received 34 million Euros in a cooperation program with the European Union and another program worth US$ 3.2 million with the United States Agency for International development (USAID).
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Justice and Reconciliation Commission will Help Definitively Close HR Violation Cases
RABAT, Nov.13

Chairman of the Moroccan human rights advisory council (CCDH), Omar Azziman, told a press conference Wednesday the justice and reconciliation commission -created on Nov.06- will enable to close once and for all past cases of human rights violations. H.M King Mohammed VI approved on November 06 the creation of the commission, recommended by the CCDH. It will be in charge of pursuing the out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses related to forced disappearances and arbitrary detention. It will also have to complete, within an agreed time-frame, the just and equitable rehabilitation of victims.

The decision to create the commission stems from H.M king Mohammed VI's resolve to enhance the culture and values of human rights, said Azziman, explaining that it will follow up the settlement of human rights violations related to forced disappearances and arbitrary detentions committed in the past. According to Azziman, the commission will take into account the financial, moral, social and health situation of the victims of human rights abuses as well as human rights organizations' proposals, international human rights law and the experience of other countries in this field. He underlined that the idea of the Justice and Reconciliation commission is to move from financial compensations into repairing moral, psychological, ethical and social damages sustained by the victims.

The fresh commission will assess the process of addressing the issue of arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances by establishing contacts with the concerned parties, the CCDH chairman underlined, adding that it will investigate cases of forced disappearances that remained unresolved so far and will try to locate where victims were buried to enable their families to visit their tombs. According to Azziman, the Justice and Reconciliation Commission will also draw up a report containing an analysis of violations related to forced disappearances and arbitrary detentions as well as the breakthrough achieved in this field. © MAP 2003 http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco Committed to Ban Torture, Says Ambassador
Geneva, Nov 13

Moroccan Ambassador to the Geneva-based United Nations has reaffirmed Morocco's commitment to ban all forms of torture, and carry on the democratic process. While acknowledging the difficulty to weigh up sometimes with accuracy the extent of the phenomenon of torture, I can assure you that Moroccan authorities will continue to exert necessary efforts to tackle all forms of torture, inhumane or degrading treatments", said, here Wednesday, Omar Hilale.

The Moroccan diplomat who was presenting his country's third periodic report before the UN Committee against torture, said that the Moroccan government has adopted a set of measures related to custody, questioning and detention conditions under the new law on prisons. "These measures, he explained, aim at improving detention conditions, incriminating acts of torture and attempts to practice such acts, as well as regulating expulsion and extradition" of foreign illegal immigrants. Touching on terrorism, Hilale recalled last May 16 terrorist's attacks in Casablanca stressing that the fight against terrorism must not "derail us from the democratic path".

"The fight against terrorism, however its legitimacy, cannot conceal Morocco's attachment to the basic principles of human rights", said the Moroccan ambassador who presented the different legislative and institutional reforms undertaken by Morocco during the past years with the aim to promote public liberties and human rights and comply with Morocco's international commitments.
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Morocco continues to lure Hollywood filmmakers despite regional turmoil
Nov 03,2003 (Al-Bawaba via COMTEX)

At a time when many Western firms are weary of doing business in the Middle East, Hollywood director Oliver Stone expressed confidence in the Moroccan movie industry. The big time moviemaker is on location in Marrakesh where he is filming his latest motion picture 'Alexander'.
With a budget of nearly $200 million, Alexander is one of the largest projects to ever be filmed in the Arab state. Playing Alexander is Colin Farrell and Val Kilmer, Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie are co-stars. The release date is scheduled for November 2004.
"Knock on wood, it's going very well," Stone said at the Marrakech International Film Festival earlier this month, reported Hollywood Reporter.
"We're on schedule and on budget. The weather's been a little tricky, with sandstorms and rain that surprised us. But we're pushing on."
Despite the May suicide bombings that killed 45 people in Casablanca, Stone asserts that Morocco is the ideal location for filming Alexander, a Warner Bros. picture. "Stone never even considered leaving," said the movie's producer, Thomas Schuhly in AP.
This past April, Warner Bros. canceled plans to film battle scenes for upcoming blockbuster 'Troy' in Morocco. According to the firm, filming was halted because international insurance companies refused to provide coverage during a US-led military campaign on Iraq.
Aware of the industry's importance to the economy, Moroccan authorities have recently made efforts to lift administrative hurdles for international companies required to obtain production permits. They also instituted a system of incentives, including a reduction of up to 50 percent from travel fares and hotels. - (menareport.com) By Mena Report Reporters (C) 2003 Albawaba.com, All rights reserved.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=317w2548&section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C
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Details of the liberalization of Morocco's air transport sector will be announced in few weeks
Morocco, Economics, 11/12/2003

Details of the liberalization of the air transport sector in Morocco will be announced in a few weeks, said Moroccan minister of tourism, in a statement Monday to the national TV. Adil Douiri said the initiative follows a series of measures aiming at encouraging competition and the reduction of air fares in order to promote tourism sector in Morocco. The Moroccan minister who was speaking in London where he is attending the World Travel Market, said that Morocco which ambitions to receive 10 millions tourists by 2010, must build more hotels with a capacity of 230,000 beds to be able to take up the challenge.
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Morocco has strong political will to liberalize information sector, minister
Politics, 11/14/2003

Morocco's Minister of communication and spokesman for the government, Nabil Benabdellah, said there is a strong political will in Morocco to liberalize the information sector and reform the audiovisual one. Benabdellah, who was talking at a talk show on the second TV channel 2M said the liberalization project will be submitted in the next days to the government council.

"Public media can't take the coming challenges and competition unless it is reformed and upgraded," he said, adding that the state is gradually lifting its monopoly on the media scene, especially concerning radio and TV. The state's liberalization plan also includes providing favorable conditions to private investments. Answering a question on the licenses to create private TV channels, Benabdellah said the members of the High Audiovisual Communication Authority (HACA), appointed yesterday, will be in charge of examining applications. It will consider several aspects such as the pedagogic role of the channel's programs, the minister said, adding that political organizations, parties and pressure groups do not have the right to create TV channels or radio stations.
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Moroccan Human Rights Groups Criticize Anti-Terrorist Laws Lisa Schlein
Geneva 13 Nov 2003, 19:17 UTC

Moroccan human rights groups have criticized the country's anti-terrorism laws, claiming some of the provisions will undermine the government's recent improvements in human rights practices. Moroccan human rights groups praise some of the steps taken by the Moroccan government to improve the civil rights of the county's population, including reform of the juvenile justice system, a family code giving women greater rights and freedom of speech. Najat M'Jid is a pediatrician and member of the Association Bayti, an organization that fights for the rights of street children, child laborers, and children in prison.

She praises the new laws, but worries about their implementation. She says torture, while not wide-spread, still exists and could increase. She says the anti-terrorism law enacted May 16 in Morocco after the terrorist attack in the capital, Casablanca, could also undermine the newly won liberties. "Even [though] I am against terrorism, I want to keep what we had obtained in the field of human rights," she said. "And, the fear of many NGOs [non-governmental organizations] who are working in this field is to tell yes, we do not want terrorism. Yes, we want safety, safety for all the people. But, at the same time, we want human rights even if there are terrorists'. It is very important."
Ms. M'Jid says the new law against terrorism makes more crimes punishable by death, prolongs the period in which people can be kept in detention and permits the police to arrest anyone for so-called security reasons.  The U.N. Committee Against Torture echoed the rights groups' concern, and cautioned Morocco not to sacrifice human rights to the struggle against terrorism.
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=9F11DB2A-F022-4B4D-81C6828D49E124E4
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Moroccan September trade deficit swells 19 percent
RABAT, Nov 14 (Reuters)

Morocco's trade deficit grew 19 percent to 36.97 billion dirhams ($4 billion) in the nine months to September, the state-run foreign trade regulator said on Friday. The Office des Changes said exports slid 4.3 percent to 61.9 billion dirhams while imports rose 3.3 percent to 98.9 billion dirhams, both consolidating a trend which started this year. As a result, the cover ratio of exports to imports fell from 67.6 percent in September 2002 to 62.6 percent this year. "Our textile and clothing industry, like its Mediterranean peers, is losing ground in Europe and the United States against price-busting Chinese products," a financial analyst said. Textile and clothing represent a third of Moroccan exports value.

Slow economic growth in the European Union did not help the Moroccan label's case, the analyst added. The finance ministry's General Economic Policy Division (DPEG) said in a report Morocco needs to diversify trade with other strong partners, such as China and the United States, to help it reduce a vulnerability to trend reversals. The United States and Morocco are expected to sign a free-trade accord by the end of this year.
The office said tourism receipts inched down 0.2 percent to 22.69 billion dirhams while remittances by Moroccan expatriates abroad rose 6.0 percent to 25.67 billion dirhams.

The receipts apparently resisted the impact on foreign tourist inflows of the May 16 suicide bombing attacks in Casablanca.
But analysts said 2002 could not be considered a fair reference since it was a bad year for the industry, because of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Tourism receipts in September 2001 stood at 24 billion dirhams. ((Reporting by Souhail Karam; editing by David Stamp; Reuters Messaging: souhail.karam.reuters.com@reuters.net  +212-37 720065)) ($1=9.255 dirhams)
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=1068824045nL14644517&section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C
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Morocco to dig out past torture cases, abuses
By Eileen Byrne RABAT, Nov 14 (Reuters)

Morocco is to create a commission to dig out facts about past torture and disappearances in a move intended to draw a line under past cruelties.
But to avoid reviving old tensions, there will be no naming of names, nor recommendations that individuals be brought to trial, said Omar Azziman, chairman of the Royal palace-appointed Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CCDH). "In reality, we know very well that the courts would never manage to clarify" events which took place up to 50 years ago, Azziman told Reuters.

"We would never reach the truth". This was a disappointment for some local rights groups which have lobbied for punishment of those responsible for torturing or killing political dissidents in the North African kingdom. "To go rummaging around in a very conflicted, tense past could revive tensions," he said on Thursday evening. Morocco became independent, under a centuries-old hereditary monarchy, in 1956. Most rights abuses took place under King Hassan, who ruled from 1961 until his death in 1999, when he was succeeded by his son, King Mohammed, now 40.
People suspected of being either leftist opponents of the monarchy or Western Saharan separatists were picked up by the security service. Rights groups say torture was widespread in clandestine detention centres, where some languished for years. Some members of the military involved in two unsuccessful coup attempts met with similar treatment. Moroccan authorities have so far recognised the deaths in detention of 65 people.
Amnesty International and the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) say several hundred who "disappeared" remain unaccounted for.

YEAR-LONG INVESTIGATION
Officials point out it was King Hassan who first moved in the 1990s, to compensate victims. He also initiated judicial reforms and political liberalisation. By creating the Equity and Reconciliation Commission, Morocco was already going one step further than its northern European neighbours Spain and Portugal, said Azziman, a law professor and former justice minister. They moved from dictatorship to democracy in the 1970s without any national soul-searching: "They chose to turn the page without reading it."

The Equity and Reconciliation Commission, whose members have not yet been chosen, will attempt to locate burial grounds of those who disappeared. But no forensic investigation is planned. Instead, relatives will be allowed to visit the sites. Surviving victims will be told what has been uncovered about the state agency which held them. They will be given no names of individual torturers or decision-makers. They will be asked not to publicise details of what they have been told, Azziman said. The commission is scheduled to conclude its year-long work, and publish a final report, by late 2004 or early 2005. Amnesty International said this week there had been a "sharp rise" in reported cases of torture and ill-treatment in Morocco in the past two years. ((Editing by Jon Hemming; Reuters Messaging:eileen.byrne.reuters.com@reuters.net +212-37 720065)) http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=1068812441nL14511208&Section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=Features%2C%20Analysis%20and%20Opinion&objectid=13F83A62-8988-11D5-867E00D0B74A0D7C
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Amnesty International delegates to speak about sharp rise in torture in Morocco
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Media Advisory News Service No: 254 AI INDEX: MDE 29/012/2003 11 November 2003 Embargo Date: 11 November 2003

An Amnesty International delegation is in Geneva today presenting a briefing to United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) ahead of sessions on 12-13 November in which the Committee will examine Morocco's implementation of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The delegation has just returned from a research mission to Morocco / Western Sahara (13-22 October) where it met with victims of torture, families of victims, human rights activists and lawyers.

The delegation will focus on the sharp rise in the number of reported cases of torture or ill-treatment in the last two years. Dozens of the recent cases have been of suspected Islamists arrested, questioned and often later tried after being accused of involvement in or planning violent acts over the last two years, including the attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003 which resulted in the death of some 45 people.

In some cases, those arrested have been held for up to five and a half months in secret detention, a practice to which political prisoners were frequently subjected between the 1960s and 1990s in Morocco / Western Sahara, but which was thought to have been consigned to the history books.

The delegation will also report on torture practices against Sahrawis arrested for holding views in favour of the independence of Western Sahara, a disputed territory annexed by Morocco in 1975. Those Sahrawis continue to be a target of repression, including torture during interrogation, by the Moroccan authorities. The Committee against Torture is scheduled to announce its conclusions and recommendations on Morocco on 20 November.

The full text of the briefing is today being made available as a public document Morocco / Western Sahara: Briefing to the Committee against Torture (November 2003)(AI Index: 29/011/2003).

For more information or to arrange for an interview, please call Nicole Choueiry on +44 7831 640 170 at the International Secretariat in London or Philip Luther in Geneva on +44 7919 392 341. Public Document For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web:http://www.amnesty.org  For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org  http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE290122003

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