Rabat – Hailing Morocco’s commitment to the fight against terrorism, the U.S. Department of State said on December 19 that the North African country along with the US are “leading global efforts at the international level” in the fight against terrorism and its ideologies.
The US remark was noted in an analysis published on the US Department of State’s official blog “DipNote.”
“The United States and the Kingdom of Morocco are leading a global effort under the auspices of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and in partnership with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), to address homegrown terrorism,” said an analysis by Shawna Wilson, Senior Rule of Law Advisor in the Bureau of Counterterrorism, and Countering Violent Extremism at the U.S. Department of State.
On November 16, Morocco and the US officially launched the “initiative to Address Homegrown Terrorism” in Malta. The two-day event gathered together 70 officials, law enforcement officers and representatives from 25 countries.
The initiative aimed at discussing issues related to homegrown terrorism and measures to fight against terror-related threat. During the symposium, both parties discussed ways to block possible intentions of the so-called Islamic State as “ISIS’s prolific use of social media that has expanded its reach throughout the world,” wrote the US State of Departement.
The social media threat “allows the group to direct or inspire adherents, including those who have never stepped foot in a conflict zone, to commit acts of terrorism in their own countries,” added the US Department.
In July, the US Department of State outlined Morocco’s security achievements in countering terrorism in 2016.
“In 2016, Morocco’s counter terrorism efforts effectively mitigated the risk of terrorism,” said the US Department report, pointing on the other hand to the fact that Morocco is still facing threats from small terror cells mostly loyal to ISIS.
The same report added that Morocco is a stable security-exporting partner in North Africa and is the only African nation to contribute military assets to the Defeat-ISIS Coalition campaign in Syria and Iraq.
The US Department of State added that Morocco is a leader in training security and law enforcement officials “from friendly nations such as Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal.”
