Counter-Terrorism: Come To Morocco And Die

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April 30, 2010:  Morocco recently announced it had destroyed a 24 man terrorist cell. Four of those arrested had previously been in jail for terrorist activities. This cell was not only planning attacks, but had also been active in recruiting Moroccans for terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Morocco has never been a hospitable place for Islamic terrorists. Since 2003, when Islamic radicals throughout the Arab world became enraged by the American invasion of Iraq, Morocco has shut down 60 Islamic terrorist cells. There are currently over a thousand Islamic radicals jailed in Morocco.

Despite all this, Morocco is having a peculiar problem with Islamic radicalism. Iran has been sending missionaries, armed with lots of cash, to Morocco, and engaged in aggressive attempts to convert Sunnis there, to the militant brand of Shia Islam favored in Iran. This has so angered Morocco, that diplomatic relations with Iran were cut last year. Morocco has also cracked down on Wahabi missionaries (Sunni radicals) from Saudi Arabia, and Islamic radicals in general. The king has an advantage in that he is a direct descendent of the Prophet Mohammed, and is generally popular. The Moroccan government is not as corrupt and inept as others in the Arab world, but is not a whole lot better either.