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Rabat – US President Joe Biden signed on Friday the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act into law, benefiting Morocco as it presents several opportunities – including climate spending and arms sales.
On Friday, the White House announced the signing of the defense authorization act into law, but reiterated Biden’s concerns about provisions that raise “constitutional concerns or questions of construction.”
One of the provisions that raised concerns for the White House is Section 1209 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which aims to put pressure on Biden’s administration and Morocco by halting bilateral military cooperation.
The pressure came from a group of senators, particularly the now-retired James Inhofe, who has been calling to halt US spending on military exercises with Morocco to force Rabat to negotiate its territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara.
In response, the US President said that while he is “pleased” to support “critical objectives” cited in the defense authorization act, he noted that “certain provisions of the act raise concerns.”
“A number of provisions of the Act (e.g., sections 1209(c), 1236(a), 1237, 1240, 1276(d), 1640(d), 5510(c), 5593(e), 6316, and 6402) would effectively require the President and other executive branch officials to submit reports and plans to certain congressional committees that will, in the ordinary course, include highly sensitive classified information, including information that could reveal critical intelligence sources or military operational plans,” Biden stressed.
He stressed that the US constitution urges both the President and US authorities to “prevent the disclosure” of sensitive information to protect national security.
“I believe the Congress shares this understanding and my administration will presume it is incorporated into statutory reporting requirements of the kind at issue in the Act,” Biden stressed.
This is not the first time that the US administration countered similar hostile attempts against Morocco-US military cooperation.
In November, Biden’s administration expressed the same concerns about Section 1209, stressing that the situation also requires analysis or reporting on a “significant foreign policy issue without including sufficient means for the secretary of State to provide reports and ensure that foreign assistance is carried out in a manner consistent with foreign policy priorities.”
Inhofe, in addition to several other senators, have been attempting to convince Biden’s administration to reverse the US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Inhofe, one of the most vocal pro-Polisario voices in Washington, has recently requested the search for alternative sites to host the African Lion military exercise instead of Morocco.
However, the US confirmed recently that the military drills will take place in Morocco next year in June.
“The annual exercise provides unmatched opportunities for participation and cooperation on the African continent. While Morocco anchors the exercise, the other nations, known as spokes, continue to increase their size and contribution to the overall exercise,” US Army Southern European Task Force in Africa said in October.
Morocco has been the host of the largest military exercise in Africa for 18 years.
