Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

that terrorist groups such as AQIM may exploit. Specifically, while Morocco and Algeria are
members of the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership and the GCTF, the level of bilateral
counterterrorism cooperation did not improve. Algeria and Morocco’s political disagreement
over the Western Sahara remains an impediment to more profound counterterrorism cooperation.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: Morocco has a three-pillar strategy for
countering violent extremism (CVE). First, the government takes a law-and-order approach to
CVE, working closely with the United States and other international and regional partners to
strengthen its security and counterterrorism capabilities. Second, Morocco has accelerated its
rollout of education and employment initiatives for youth and expanded the legal rights and
political empowerment of women. Finally, to counter what the government perceives as the
dangerous importation of violent Islamist extremist ideologies, it has developed a national
strategy to confirm and further institutionalize Morocco’s widespread adherence to the Maliki
school of Islam. The United States works closely with the government and key Moroccan civilsociety
organizations to support and complement related, existing programs. The Department of
State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement funds a program to improve the
overall management of Morocco’s corrections system that seeks, among other objectives, to
alleviate potential radicalism and recruitment of prisoners to terrorist ideology. In Morocco,
disaffected and marginalized youth in urban and peri-urban environments have been identified as
vulnerable to radicalization by and recruitment into violent extremist groups.
Every year during the month of Ramadan, the King hosts a series of religious lectures, inviting
Muslim speakers from around the world to promote peaceful interpretations of Islam. In the past
decade, and particularly since the Casablanca (2003) and Madrid (2004) terrorist bombings,
Morocco has focused on countering youth radicalization; upgrading places of worship;
modernizing the teaching of Islam; and strengthening the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic
Affairs (MEIA). The MEIA has developed an educational curriculum for Morocco’s nearly
50,000 imams to to counter violent extremism and advance tolerance, which is inherent in the
Maliki school of Sunni Islam, the dominant form of Islam in the country. To counter the
radicalization of Moroccans living abroad, the Moroccan Council of Ulema for Europe and the
Minister Delegate for Moroccans Living Abroad also undertook similar programs to promote
religious moderation among Moroccan expatriate communities in Europe.
OMAN
Overview: Oman is an important regional counterterrorism partner and was actively involved in
working to prevent terrorists from conducting attacks within Oman, and using the country for
safe haven or transport of weapons and materiel support. In 2012, several suspected terrorists,
identified by the Government of Oman as members of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula,
illegally entered southern Oman from Yemen. The Government of Oman reported this event in
its national press, stressing that security of the country was its foremost concern. The Omani
government actively sought training and equipment from the United States and commercial
entities, as well as those from other countries to support its efforts to control its land and
maritime borders. Oman used U.S. security assistance to enhance nighttime operational
capabilities on its maritime and land borders.
Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: In 2012, the Royal Oman Police (ROP)
procured night vision equipment for the ROP-Coast Guard for use in patrolling its coastline and
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