by Khalil Asmar
If you stop the loud noises coming from the fanfare of the Moroccan media, about its diplomats-special envoys-flamboyantly adventurous trips and achievements in central and South-America, you will be deafened by the absurd silence its diplomacy makes. In other words, big hats no cattle.
The king grouped all his ambassadors last year, announcing he wanted to give his diplomacy a new road-map, a Facelift actually. Because underneath this cosmetic surgery, still lay the old wrinkles of the old weak foreign policy of Rabat.
The king sent a flamboyant group of envoys or as they are also known as « experts in corruption diplomats » to Haiti, Panama and Paraguay to gain their support for the autonomy plan in Western-Sahara. They have also made a quick stop in the Dominican Republic.
The first three countries mentioned above, have had supported the Polisario and the call for the self determination of the people of Western-Sahara. But as history recalls, they too have a tendency to have corrupted governments, and some of them are plain failed states. Nonetheless, to Morocco it is a big achievement.
Haiti: we do not need to go in details about it because it is known to be a failed state.
In the 2013 FSI-failed states index, it is ranked number 8 out of 178 countries, between Afghanistan and Central African Republic.http://ffp.statesindex.org/rankings-2013-sortable
And in the CPI-The Corruption Perceptions Index it is ranked number 163 out 177 countries. http://www.transparency.org/cpi2013/results
Nonetheless, to Morocco it is a big achievement.
Panama: is a transit country for drug trafficking, especially cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. http://tinyurl.com/kx76flj
Ranked 102 in the CPI, you can deduct that corruption is customary; Overall, its anti-corruption laws seem to have little impact, and its judicial system remains vulnerable to political interference. Nonetheless, to Morocco it is a big achievement.
Paraguay: Corrupted from the top down.
Its newly elected president was investigated by the DEA -drug enforcement agency- for money laundering http://tinyurl.com/lancm4o
Ranked 150 in the CPI, very corrupted. And Known for Some of Highest Cannabis Production in the World http://tinyurl.com/my2v9yz. Nonetheless, to Morocco it is a big achievement.
Morocco: Corruption is customary. Ranked 91 in the CPI. And it is number 1 cannabis producer in the world http://tinyurl.com/q8mcmfn
conclusion: all these countries share 3 common aspects: corruption, drug trafficking and money laundering.
Where does that money go?
Cayman islands then moved to Florida through US/Morocco chamber of commerce.And it ends up funding Lobbies and American politicians’ elections in DC to support Morocco autonomy plan in Western-Sahara. Apply, rinse lather.
Policy recommendation to polisario:
Now, we can see that the new diplomacy road-map of Morocco rests on old ways.
They approach the most corrupted and failed countries, in a Godfather movie like « sit down » way, push an envelop on the table and call it « foreign policy ».
Thus, there is a way for the Polisario at predicting Morocco’s next step.
They can now take a look at the countries that support the RASD and their rankings in the CPI, their drug trafficking business and do the math.
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