Gaddafi's son allegedly involved in the attempt to blow up the airport in Geneva

Based in story published by Almasse newspaper (popular Moroccan newspaper) on 07^th June 2011; An Algerian national, was arrested by Algerian security services, admitted that Hannibal, son of Muammar Gaddafi, tried to employ him to carry out terrorist bombings in Switzerland.

The informed sources mentioned in this context that Hannibal, the spoiled child of the Libyan leader, had assigned to the Algerian citizen, named Alexander, to carry out multiple bombings in Switzerland, including the bombing of the airport in Geneva.

And trace the detail of this incident to 2008, the year that witnessed a major diplomatic crisis between Tripoli and Geneva, following the arrest of Gaddafi’s son by the Swiss authorities. He was alleged to have tortured his Moroccan employee.

Will Moroccans trust the government in a constitutional monarchy?

When King Mohammed VI announced broad changes to Morocco’s constitution in March, he signalled a shift from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. The new, elected government that results from these changes will be accountable to parliament, have an independent judiciary, offer a more decentralized governance system, provide broader individual liberties and offer women the same chance of winning elected office as men.

His changes came suddenly. Before massive protests erupted in Morocco on Feb. 20 — part of the upheaval that has swept across North Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East — the political scene seemed stagnant; no political party was pressing for constitutional changes.

On that day, however, protesters in more than 50 Moroccan cities called to set boundaries on the king’s powers and hand over the executive prerogatives to an elected government that voters can hold accountable. The king apparently received the message, although he did not make any explicit reference to the protests in his speech.

The announced constitutional reforms open new opportunities for political life in Morocco. Seven significant suggested changes included in the reforms would do the following:

Shift executive power from the king to the prime minister. The prime minister will serve as the head of the executive branch and is fully responsible for the government, the civil service and the implementation of the government’s agenda.

In the current constitution, the prime minister is responsible only for coordinating activities among the ministers of government. With the prime minister selected from the political party that enjoys a majority in parliament, parties will need to develop their economic and social platforms.

Shift power from the king to electors. The revisions will change the process of naming the prime minister, who under the current constitution is appointed by the king regardless of election results.

Expand the scope of the legislative domain and provide parliament with new powers. The legislative domain is explicitly restricted in the current constitution. Any legal issue not explicitly mentioned as being part of the domain of law belongs to the regulatory field, and can be handled by governmental decrees.

The legislative process grants dominance to the executive branch over parliament. The government controls the agenda of parliament and gives priority to bills it submits to parliament over those initiated by members of parliament. Finally, the government can legislate between regular parliamentary sessions. As such, the constitution has allowed the parliament to delegate its legislative power to the government.

Strengthen the judiciary and guarantee its independence. Morocco’s constitution sets out the principle of judicial independence. In practice, however, the judiciary is subject to executive influence.

The king serves as chairman of the Judiciary Supreme Council that is mandated to manage judges’ careers (nomination, promotion, mobility and disciplinary sanctions). In addition, the Ministry of Justice sets the agenda for the council’s quarterly meetings and submits the council’s recommendations to the king, who issues final decisions.

Shift power and resources from the centre to the regions. The revisions will empower regional councils that are directly elected by voters instead of regional representatives of the executive (mainly the Ministry of Interior).

Promote participation by women in managing public affairs and promote their political rights. The new constitution is expected to favour equal access by men and women to elected office. It would likely include mechanisms to promote women’s representation in parliament and on local councils, and to guarantee a certain number of seats for women in parliament.

Strengthen the rule of law, expand personal freedoms and ensure human rights in political, economic, social and cultural areas. The preamble of the constitution is expected to explicitly affirm Morocco’s commitment to human rights as universally recognized. Morocco’s Amazigh identity will also be mentioned in the constitution and the Amazigh language will be made an official national language in addition to Arabic.

The planned changes will not lead to a parliamentary constitution in Morocco, but they will introduce the separation of powers and reduce the king’s all-powerful role in government. As a result, political parties and civil society should remain vigilant about the changes and seize the opportunity of regional upheaval to push for additional reforms.

Political parties play a pivotal role in any well-functioning constitutional democracy. They should allow a new generation of political leaders to emerge and open their doors to youth who no longer trust politics or parties. Compared to those of other countries in the region, Morocco’s political system has become much more open over the last decade, but political leaders lacked a strategic vision and adopted a purely opportunistic behavior, trading requests for political reforms for ministerial portfolios and other private benefits. They cannot blame the regime for all of their woes.

Now that youth outside the political parties have pushed for constitutional changes, political parties must heed the message. No effective democracy can be achieved with closed, archaic and fragmented political parties. It’s time for them to change along with Morocco’s constitution.

Up to 60,000 protesters march in Morocco

RABAT, Morocco, June 6 (UPI) -- Up to 60,000 people took part in anti-government protests in Morocco, with large crowds gathering in Casablanca and Rabat, officials said.

Marchers carried signs and chanted, "The people want to overthrow tyranny, The people want to overthrow corruption," the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Unlike in the recent past, no riot police showed up.

"These protests are taking place today at the same time the [Moroccan regime is] launching a campaign of unprecedented defamation and disinformation against the movement," a blogger wrote. "The demonstrators are marching now to Parliament … no intervention by police, who merely regulate the marchers."

Moroccan officials appeared to be taking a milder stance dealing with protesters than in recent weeks when police in riot gear allegedly beat demonstrators with batons, the report said.

Observers said the lack of action by authorities could be an attempt to limit broadening support for activists in mounting an "Arab Spring" uprising similar to those in Tunisia and Egypt.

Anti-government demonstrators said online the lack of violence by riot police shouldn't be confused with a lack of repression.

Protesters in Casablanca and Rabat carried posters of Kamal Amari, who died Thursday from wounds he suffered during clashes with police on May 29 in Safi, about 200 miles south of Rabat. Today there has been establishment in UK of coordinating committee of the protests of February 20 and a creating of their own page in Facebook of Kamal Amari’s memory: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=10000231960393

The release of women protesters that stood on the way of the Moroccan king

The release of women protesters that stood on the way of the Moroccan king

Yesterday, a group of women have been released from jail.

The group from “Dawar Al Koura” in Rabat and have been arrested about two weeks ago after participating in the protests organised by their local community of their rights to benefit from housing assistance in the area.

The women chanted National Anthem, the day before yesterday in the court room during the trial, after spending more than 15 days in detention, under the allegation of intercepting the way of the Moroccan King, who was passing on the coastal road in conjunction with the protest movement of the population of “Dawar Al Koura”. 

The-ex prisoners, their family and relatives marched back home in a convoy of cars and pedestrians from local community celebrating their freedom back.

March for Moroccan Demonstrator's first Death

Protesters add police violence to their list of anti-government grievances

Rallying behind the death of its first martyr at the hands of police, tens of thousands of supporters of Morocco’s protest movement took to the streets over the weekend brandishing posters of 30-year-old Kamel Al-Amari.

Al-Amari’s alleged death on Thursday by police in the city of Safi, 200 miles south of the capital of Rabat, has given new momentum to anti-government movements, as the effects of the Arab Spring reach across north Africa.

The protesters' agenda was mixed. In Casablanca, some 60,000 demonstrators marched, carrying banners reading "The people want an end to tyranny," and chanting slogans against the government and the constitution, which they claimed left too much power in the hands of King Muhammad VI.

Following Al-Amari's death, the new agenda of police brutality was added to the list of grievances. "We are all Kamel Al-Amari, the martyr of the February 20 Movement," read one man's sign, while others carried a white mock coffin with Al-Amari's portrait taped on its lid. Riot police were markedly absent from Sunday's demonstrations. 

    

Protests in Morocco began on February 20, when marches took place in 52 cities across the country demanding constitutional and democratic reform and an end to government corruption. Aptly titled "The February 20 Movement," the grassroots initiative launched a Facebook page to coordinate protest activities. But up until Al-Amari's death last week, the weekly protests failed to gain substantial momentum.

"The people demand the killers of the martyr," chanted crowds in a demonstration in the city of Meknes on June 6.

Jack Kalpakian, a political scientist at Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, said that demonstrations could widen if the government failed to seriously investigate Al-Amari's death.

"It all depends on the government's response," he told The Media Line. "If there's an investigation and real reconciliation with the family, this can be overcome."

Al-Amari was a member of Al-Adl Wal-Ihsan, an Islamist opposition group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Following his death, the organization said negotiations with the government were doomed to fail.

"The vengeance taken by the oppressive rulers against the proud and peaceful Moroccan people indicates the end of hope for the ruling regime in this country and its failure to accept peaceful transition to real democracy guaranteeing social justice for all," a statement on the organization's website read.

Kalpakian said that the government began using more violence against demonstrators some three weeks ago, when more and more ordinary citizens began complaining about the disruptions caused to their daily lives and businesses by the weekly demonstrations. He said the government's move was imprudent.

"This led to a harsher line by the protesters," Kaplakian said. "For instance, when public sector doctors were beaten up by police, this caused the private doctors to join their struggle."

King Muhammad VI, the liberal-minded monarch ruling Morocco since 1999, was relatively swift in responding to the demonstrators' demands. He established a committee charged with re-drafting the constitution, comprised of a large spectrum of Morocco's political parties, and even representatives of the February 20 protest movement. The new constitution will be voted on in a public referendum July 1.

But Kaplakian said that although the new constitution would take away many of the king's prerogatives and hand them over to the parliament and the prime minister, Morocco was not going to become a "symbolic monarchy." Apparently, many demonstrators were not satisfied by this.

"A parliamentary monarchy = a king that reigns but doesn't rule," read a banner in a Marrakech demonstration June 5.

Hasan Al-Haithami, a member of the media department in the Justice and Development Party, an Islamist party and Morocco's largest opposition group, said that the government was wise not to send police into Sunday's demonstrations, even though they were officially illegal.

"We demand a parliamentary monarchy, removing the guise of holiness from the king and the creation of a real government, not a powerless one," Al-Haithami told The Media Line. "We also demand the removal of businessmen from politics."

Al-Haithami said the final draft of the constitution was not yet leaked to the public, but if it did not satisfy the opposition demands, they would boycott it.

Located at the western edge of the Arab world, Morocco remained largely unscathed by the popular uprisings that toppled the regimes in Egypt and nearby Tunisia. Recently, Morocco and Jordan were offered to join the GCC, a political grouping of Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman.

Written by David E. Miller 

Published Monday, June 06, 2011  

The top ten things to do in Morocco

1. Cook a tagine in Essaouira

The laid-back beach town of Essaouira is the perfect spot to learn how to prepare a tasty Moroccan tagine, a flavoursome stew slow cooked in a conical-shaped dish also called a tagine, cleverly designed to seal in the spicy fragrances.

Take a four-hour workshop in authentic yet sleek L’Atelier Madada in the lofty grounds of boutique hotel Madada Mogador. Suss out how to make the perfect cup of mint tea, laced with lashings of sugar, a vital part of Moroccan culture served after every meal.

After cooking the richly-flavoured tagine and indulging in the fruits of your labour, enjoy a tour of the hippy town’s fish and spice souk (market), chock full of olive mountains, highly patterned tagine dishes, caged chickens and suspicious looking medicines – herbal Viagra anyone?

Much of what’s on offer is not for the faint-hearted: think blood-smeared decapitated rams’ heads. Escape the gore  by retreating to one of the market’s small spice shops, stocked with an array of glass jars filled with heady spices, henna dyes and sweet smelling perfume sticks, such as gazelle musk, taken from behind the animal’s ear. Once the cooking class is over, explore the coastal town’s bohemian shops, sandy beaches and art galleries.

2. Surf in Taghazout

A 25-minute drive north of Agadir, Taghazout is a mecca for surfers as it boasts an enormous stretch of coastline and 330 days of sunshine a year with temperatures rarely dropping below a toasty 20 degrees.

Surf spots aren’t as swamped as those in Europe and the US, and the warm water and consistent waves makes for a pleasant ride. Whether you’re a novice or a super-star surfer, Taghazout has a break for you.

Hash Point is known as the lazy man’s spot because it’s an easy right-hander that breaks near the shore, ideal for those who loathe paddling, while the Super Wedge offers small fun waves.

3. Haggle in the souks

Marrakech’s lively souks are a maze of small shops that curl around the backstreets of main square Djemaa el Fna.

A whirl of patterned rugs, gaudy slippers, spices, chess sets and hand-crafted crockery, the markets are best explored at night when pretty lanterns light the way. Don’t be shy about haggling; it’s an essential, and expected, part of the process. Shopkeepers will often want you to enjoy a cup of mint tea with them as you come to an agreement on a price.

Effective discount plays are to say you’re from Africa or Eastern Europe and a student. Walking away can often bring a price down dramatically too. Beware of pushy market sellers who try to corner you in their shop in an attempt to force you to buy. Never be bullied into buying something you don’t want!

5. Get scrubbed clean in a hammam

Don’t expect an entirely soothing experience when visiting a hammam (traditional steam bath), which can be found in luxury hotels and riads.

You’ll be given a no-holds-barred scrubbing with black soap, which will wipe away any trace of dirt or tan, before having a bucket of water thrown over you, and then sweating it all out in the sauna.

The experience is normally topped off with a soothing massage, so you leave feeling rejuvenated and super-clean.

6. Visit a film location

Famously known as the Hollywood of Morocco, Ouarzazate is home to the Moroccan Film Studios where epic films, such as The Jewel Of The Nile, Cleopatra, Lawrence Of Arabia and some scenes for Star Wars were shot in its desert-like landscape. Visitors can go on a guided tour of the film sets. Also meriting exploration is the fortified city of Ait Benhaddou, an 11th century Unesco-protected kasbah which provided the backdrop for Russell Crowe’s swashbuckling Gladiator movie.

The well-preserved town marks the start of the road of a thousand Kasbahs, known as one of the world’s oldest trading routes. It’s freckled with ancient Kasbahs with buildings built from mud and straw, while olive and date palmeries break up the dry desert landscape, along with small markets selling prickly pears and watermelons.

Sex And The City 2 was filmed in the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Jhan Rahma Hotel, in Marrakech, although the movie was set in Abu Dhabi.

7. Hike in the High Atlas Mountains

Escape the tourist hordes and hustlers in Marrakech by heading to Morocco’s mighty High Atlas mountains, home to terraced crops, snaking rivers and Berber villages.

The wild and rugged peaks of North Africa’s highest mountain range, some of which top 4000m, can be reached from Marrakech in two hours, and can be explored by hiking, mountain biking or horse riding. Visit as a day trip from Marrakech or spend a few days trekking through rugged terrain and camping in rustic Berber tents.

8. Stay in a Riad

Beautifully decked out with colourful cushions, lanterns and mosaic-tiled floors, riads are traditional Moroccan houses set around a courtyard and are normally situated near the souks in the middle of the medina. Many have rooftop terraces with reclining seats, which afford views of the medina. Riads cater for everyone from budget to money-is-no-object travellers.

In cheaper riads, expect rooms to be small and simple with a curtain (if you’re lucky) separating the bathroom and bedroom. If you find the prospect of no bathroom door terrifying, you can either banish your other half/buddy from the room when you need the loo or start singing when on the throne.

9. Explore Djemaa el Fna

Djemaa el Fna is the pulsing heart of Marrakech, a big square that’s chock-a-block with snake charmers, leashed monkeys (which will somehow find their way on to your back) and storytellers.

At night, the square is filled with plumes of cooking smoke infused with sizzling aromas from the open-air food market made up of pop-up stalls with gas fires, where cooks are dressed from head to toe in white, and cheery waiters will vie for your custom with promises of  “Asda price” tucker. Eating here is a no frills-affair – you will sit on plastic benches, but the food is delicious and the prices are low. Food ranges from brochettes (meat skewers), salads and couscous to fish and snails. Agree a price up-front to avoid getting ripped off.

10. Visit Todra Gorge

The looming cliffs of Todra Gorge, in the High Atlas Mountains, make a rugged contrast to the lush-green landscape. Watch your back for oncoming motorbikes and mules if you walk through the canyon at its narrowest point, surrounded by 300m cliffs. The soaring rock face can also be explored on a horse-riding excursion.

Morocco's uprisings and all the king's men

Thousands poured into the streets of Rabat on Sunday June 5 to condemn the death of a protester and to demand an end to the country-wide government crackdown on peaceful demonstrations. 

"We are here today to protest the murder of Khaled al-Amari," said a 40-year-old Rabat resident who did not give her name out of fear of the authorities. "But we are also here because we demand dignity, democracy and freedom. This repression must end."

Last Thursday, 30-year-old Khaled al-Amari, a member of Morocco's main opposition group, died after reportedly suffering a severe beating at the hands of police during a protest in the city of Safi. Officers deny that his death was a direct result of police violence, despite eyewitness accounts that he was severely beaten.

Police violence against peaceful demonstrators in Morocco has exploded in recent weeks, in what protesters say is a significant escalation of government repression.

The swelling crowd proceeded from the Old City down Muhammed VI Avenue, many holding pictures of Khaled al-Amari's beaten face. Protesters chanted: "Down with despotism. We want freedom and dignity," and "peace, peace, freedom is coming," as they made their way to parliament. At many points in the march, protesters clasped each other's hands, sat down in the street, or waved peace signs in the air.

"We are demanding democracy and dignity," declared Mohammed Aghmaj. "The police are not being violent today because there was a martyr. But we know they have been violent in the past," he said, referring to the relative calm at the demonstration.

Coercing protesters and journalists

The protesters are part of what has been termed the February 20 Movement, led largely by young people demanding pro-democracy reforms and an end to government corruption and repression - as well as an end to poverty and inequality. Launched on February 20 this year, the protests have swelled in conjunction with the so-called "Arab Spring" protests and revolutions sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. Gatherings continue regularly, culminating weekly in coordinated demonstrations throughout the country.

Many believe that the recent escalation in violence is meant to quash mass mobilisations before the July 1 referendum on reforming the constitution. The referendum itself was a concession offered by King Muhammed VI to the February 20 Movement protesters.

"Police have been given orders to break protesters' legs and heads," said Mohamed Elboukili, from the Moroccan human rights organisation Association Marocaine des Droits Humains ["Morrocan Association of Human Rights"]. "This is a very dangerous situation."

Police violence against protests in several cities throughout Morocco on the past two Sundays have garnered international attention, with several images of police beatings captured on video. "According to the law, police must ask people to leave three times and give time for this," explains Elboukili. "But the police don't do this. They charge and beat people. In our opinion, this does not respect the right to peacefully demonstrate."

Police violence has been accompanied by a crackdown on journalists. Last month, Al Jazeera was forced by the Moroccan government to cease broadcast operations in Rabat, with a ban on all land and satellite transmitters. Furthermore, Rachid Nini, editor of Morocco's el-Massa newspaper, who has been outspoken against government corruption, was jailed for writing articles critical of Morocco's security services and counter-terrorism law. Amnesty International has condemned the jailing as "a severe attack on freedom of expression". Last Wednesday, dozens of his supporters gathered in downtown Rabat to demand that the government release him.

Protesters march in Rabat against the violent crackdown on demonstrations [Emma Rosen]

The king's repressive tactics 

The Association Marocaine des Droits Humains has received reports that police have started paying house visits to protest organisers' homes, telling them they should not attend protests. "Now they are intimidating and watching people," says Elboukili. "The police are making their presence known."

This approach contrasts sharply with police treatment of pro-monarchy demonstrators on Sunday May 29. At midday, a pro-monarchy rally on Muhammad V Avenue in front of the parliament chanted slogans supporting the king, with many attendees holding his portrait. The crowd went undisturbed by police, who hung back leisurely at the outskirts. Journalists were allowed to roam freely, marking a drastic distinction from February 20 Movement protests, where journalists covered demonstrations at considerable personal risk from the police.

One attendee, a Rabat native in his mid-fifties who did not give his name, explained: "This demonstration has a permit, unlike the other demonstrations," in reference to mobilisations of the February 20 movement. 

This comes on the heels of Saudi Arabia's invitation to Morocco to join what has been termed the "club of kings", the Gulf Cooperation Council, intended to protect the interests of monarchs against the "Arab Spring" uprisings throughout the region. While Morocco is a constitutional monarchy on paper, in practice, power is consolidated in the hands of the king, who can nominate and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet, dissolve parliament, and levy emergency powers.

Muhammad VI is a close ally of the United States, which exports arms to the Moroccan government, reportedly to maintain its military occupation in Western Sahara. Muhammad VI has attracted praise from the Obama administration for his alleged moderation and embrace of democratic reforms.

"Things need to change in my country," said a 35-year-old Casablanca resident who spoke on condition of anonymity. "This repression makes me fear for my children. We need so many things, we need education and freedom and an end to poverty. The people of Morocco are demanding change. We will not tolerate this repression."

By Aljazeera.net