Tags : Morocco, Moffett Group, lobbying, United States, Western Sahara, american aid,

Summary of the document : The Moffett Group assisted Ambassador Bouhlal and the Moroccan Embassy in Washington, D.C., from July to October 2012 by strengthening diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties between Morocco and the U.S. They facilitated meetings between the Ambassador and key U.S. officials, organized high-profile luncheons, and planned events to celebrate U.S.-Moroccan relations, including the 70th anniversary of Casablanca with the Motion Picture Association of America.

Economically, the group promoted U.S.-Moroccan trade, including a major event in Delaware highlighting Moroccan fruit imports. They also engaged with industry leaders like the Global Cold Chain Alliance to expand trade opportunities.

Looking ahead, the Moffett Group planned to analyze the 2012 U.S. elections and their impact on U.S.-Morocco relations. Their strategic goals included reinforcing the U.S.-Morocco Strategic Dialogue, advocating for a resolution of the Western Sahara dispute, enhancing bilateral trade, raising awareness of refugee issues, and promoting Morocco’s strategic importance through diplomatic outreach.

The document has also the Moffett Group’s response to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry outlines its lobbying efforts in the U.S. Congress to support Morocco’s interests, particularly regarding U.S. aid and the Western Sahara conflict.

Opposing Senator Leahy’s Efforts – The Moffett Group advises against a public campaign, opting instead for a discreet strategy of engaging key congressional allies to counter Senator Leahy’s push to condition U.S. aid to Morocco. They have facilitated meetings and influenced congressional discourse through op-eds and statements supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan.

Influencing U.S. Legislation – The group monitors legislative actions affecting Morocco and engages with lawmakers on key committees. They have met with numerous congressional offices, strengthened the Congressional Morocco Caucus, and arranged meetings between Ambassador Bouhlal and influential policymakers to bolster U.S. support for Morocco.

Legal Response to NYC Bar Report – The Moffett Group suggests engaging a specialized law firm if the Moroccan government deems it necessary to respond to the New York City Bar Association’s report on the Western Sahara dispute.

Quarterly Reporting – The group is willing to provide regular updates to the Moroccan Ambassador on its lobbying efforts, detailing meetings and progress.

Overall, their approach relies on behind-the-scenes lobbying rather than public campaigns, emphasizing bipartisan congressional support to safeguard Morocco’s interests in U.S. policy.

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THE MOFFETT GROUP‘S EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO

JULY 2012 — OCTOBER 2012

ACTIVITIES WITH AMBASSADOR BOUHLAL

Since his arrival in Washington, DC in January, the Moffett Group has served Ambassador Bouhlal and his embassy staff, in a number of important ways.

First, our group continues to introduce the Ambassador to key members of Congress as well as other influential players in Washington, DC — members of the Obama Administration, the media, the think-tank community and leaders of U.S. business interests.

We have worked closely with the Ambassador to help arrange the luncheons he hosts at the embassy. These luncheons are typically held with a small group in an intimate setting, which is very consistent with valuable social interaction and serious discussion.

These Ambassador luncheons host members of Congress, key congressional staff, administration officials, media personalities and non-governmental leaders including corporate officials among others. To date, he has met with a series of members that serve on committees with jurisdiction over issue of importance to Morocco like the Foreign Affairs Committee, Appropriations Committee and Intelligence Committee.

AN EXAMPLE OF OUR WORK TO SHED POSITIVE LIGHT ON THE US-MOROCCAN FRIENDSHIP

We continue to work with the Ambassador and his team to find ways to utilize the upcoming 70th anniversary of the release of the film Casablancain the most positive ways.

The highly respected Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), now led by former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd, will host a dinner in honor of Ambassador Bouhlal and the people of Morocco followed by a screening of the film.

The Moffett Group and the MPAA are also in discussions with the famed Hollywood studio Warner Brothers, the original producer of Casablancaregarding a possible anniversary event in Los Angeles, California.

EXEMPLES OF HOW THE MOFFETT GROUP IS WORKING WITH THE AMBASSADOR TO PROMOTE U.S.- MOROCCAN TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Next month, Ambassador Bouhlal, accompanied by Toby Moffett, will travel to the State of Delaware for an event highlighting the arrival of a shipment of Moroccan fruit into the Port of Wilmington. We will utilize this occasion to bring focus to the importance of the U.S.- Morocco Free Trade Agreement. Delaware’s highest-level governmental officials will be present including the governor and a key U.S. Senator on matters relating to Africa, Senator Chris Coons.

Additionally, following an introduction to Ambassador Bouhlal a few months ago, Toby Moffett has continued discussions with Bill Hudson, the President of the Global Cold Chain Alliance, the association that represents all of the major cold storage and refrigeration companies in the U.S. and many around the world.

POST-2012ELECTION– CRITICALAREASOFFOCUSBYTHEMOFFETTGROUPONMOROCCO’S BEHALF

The Moffett Group has provided the Ambassador a « road-map » of the 113th Congress. Additionally, Toby Moffett has delivered a memo of the presidential election and likely outcome of that race. Please see the election memo, which is attached.

Following the U.S. elections in November, the Moffett Group will present the Ambassador and his team with an analysis of the outcome, of the race for President, of course, but also the races for the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.

This early memo will also include our best analysis of which individuals are likely to chair key congressional committees and subcommittees and which will likely be appointed to important posts in the new administration.

For the remainder of the year and into the next Congress, the Moffett Group will work to accomplish a number of goals onbehalf of the Government of Morocco:

• To continue to work closely with Ambassador Bouhlal and his staff to highlight before Congress and the administration the importance of the agreement or the « Strategic Dialogue » and howit can present a foundation for even more progress in the interaction between the two countries;

• To find important ways to sustain the congressional pressure into 2013 so that the new Administration — be it President Obama or Governor Romney – feels compelled to provide more aggressive leadership for a resolution of the Western Sahara dispute in 2013;

• To help bring about enhancements in the U.S.-Morocco bilateral trade relationship that lead to more economic interaction between the two countries;
• To continue to shine the spotlight on the refugee issues and, thereby, to force a much greater awareness among U.S. policymakers and media of Algefian and Polisafio reluctance to allowing such a focus; and
• To be of substantial assistance to the Ambassador and his team in highlighting Morocco — its deep and historic friendship with the U.S. and its critical strategic importance to the U.S. and others throughout the Maghreb — largely through the Ambassador’s visits to important U.S. cities.

1801 18″ street, NW, Washington, DC 20008 p: 202.299.9599 | www.moffettgroupdc.com

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To: His Excellency Rachad Bouhlal
Moroccan Ambassador to the United States
From: The Moffett Group
Date: October 18, 2012

Re: Response to Questions from Foreign Ministry

As promised, please see the Moffett Group’s responses to the questions posed by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry below.

QUESTION 1: « CONDUCT A COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN IN ORDER TO TACKLE SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY’S EFFORTS FROM CONDITIONING U.S. AID TO MOROCtO IN NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET AND HELP BRING CHANGES TO PROPOSED BILLS WHICH MAY THREATEN OR HARM MOROCCO’S INTERESTS.”

There are many strategies as to the best way to combat Senator Leahy’s initiatives regarding the Western Sahara, particularly as they relate to U.S. aid to Morocco. This is an issue we have been dealing with for many years, and have worked closely with former Ambassador Mekouar and now-Ambassador Bouhlal. Our efforts have largely been successful.

The main reason for this success is that we have struck a very delicate balance between strong criticism of Senator Leahy’s initiatives in the Senate and strategic efforts to convince other members of both chambers, including members of the Appropriations Committee, that any conditioning of assistance to Morocco is not only harmful to the bilateral relationship but is against the best interests of the United States.

Rather than conduct a public communications campaign that would further publicize Sen. Leahy’s efforts, our strategy has been to quietly isolate Senator Leahy by recruiting allies among the House of Representatives and the Senate. We have conducted meetings with dozens of congressional offices, and spoken with members of Congress and Senators about this issue over the past several years. Additionally, by facilitating meetings for Ambassador Bouhlal with top intelligence staffers, we have ensured that a counterargument to Senator Leahy is well known among the offices that matter.

For example, prior to the ninth round of the UN-sponsored informal talks between Morocco and the Polisario Front on the Western Sahara conflict in March, the Moffett Group orchestrated Congressional action by senior members of the House of Representatives. A statement for the Congressional Record submitted by Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and an op-ed written by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) praised the Moroccan autonomy plan and called for an end to the decades-long conflict over the Western Sahara. Both actions by these two prominent and highly respected members of the U.S. House of Representatives had the desired effect of sending a clear message a solution to the conflict is of upmost importance to the U.S. and Morocco.

Unless the definition of a “communications campaign“ means something other than the constant communications with important members of Congress and their staffs that we conduct, a full-on “traditional“ communications campaign is not necessarily the best approach to combat Senator Leahy‘s efforts to condition U.S. aid to Morocco.

We see no good reason to launch such a campaign at this time. If, again, a communications campaign means having stories in the media, such an efforts risks having Senator Leahy spend a great deal more time on this matter than he has been spending. For example, as Chairman of the important St:ate-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee in the Senate, Leahy could, at any time, hold a highly visible — and potentially problematic — hearing on alleged human rights abuses by Morocco.

We do, however, miss no opportunity to work quietly with important reporters to point out that any conditioning language on Morocco’s assistance is not only harmful to Morocco but to the shared interests of our two countries.

QUESTION 2: “INITIATE VARl0US ACTIONS IN ORDER TO BRING CHANGES IN BILLS THAT DO NOT
SERVE MOROCCO’S INTERESTS.”

The Moffett Group is constantly monitoring the legislative (specifically the appropriations) process for any signs of bills, amendments, resolutions or even statements by members on the floor of the House or Senate that could be harmful — or helpful – to Morocco’s strategic interests.

The relationships we maintain with lawmakers on committees relevant for Morocco (Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Armed Services and Intelligence) help ensure that we are able to effect changes in legislation at the appropriate time. We constantly push for positive achievements by Morocco to be recognized by the Congress in a variety of ways.

In 2012, we have met with senior staff of no less than S0 House and Senate offices in order to bring them up to date on the most important issues to Morocco. In each meeting, we impress upon the staff Morocco’s strategic importance to the U.S. and why the U.S. must do more to help bring about a settlement of the Western Sahara conflict. This involves reminding the staff of the long-term U.S. support for the Moroccan framework for a resolution, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

It also involves ensuring that staff members are aware of the critical change in U.S. policy reflected in the 2011 Omnibus Appropriations bill — one that included, for the first time, explicit congressional approval of U.S. funds being spent on humanitarian needs in the Western Sahara. We have also been actively and aggressively adding House members to the Congressional Morocco Caucus.

Additionally, in order to open up a strong line of communication between Ambassador Bouhlal and key members and their staff in the House and Senate, we have arranged for the Ambassador to dine in the U.S. Capitol Building in the House Members private dining room on a regular basis.

We have also organized lunches at the embassy for congressional staffers. For example, in October, the Ambassador hosted the majority and minority staff directors for both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to discuss the newly signed Strategic Dialogue and what it could mean for resolution of the longstanding conflict in the Western Sahara.

We rontinue to feel strongly that the strategy we have developed with the Ambassador and his team is a solid one and one that has been largely suctessful for a number of years – to utilize our very strong bipartisan support in the U.S. house to counter any nee• ive 7an¿tuope or requirements on appropriations bills in the Senate (Ready initiated) and to have powerful Senators from 6och parties oppose such hearty initiatives.

It is important to note that this does not guarantee that such language will always be removed from key appropriations bills, but we believe it greatly diminishes the prospects for such negative initiatives to succeed.

By demonstrating such strong bipartisan support for Morocco, in both the House and Senate, we find the administration — whether it is an Obama or Romney administration — will be strongly influenced to withstand and oppose any such initiatives.

QUESTI0N 3: ”PROVIDE A RESPONSE BY A TEAM OF LAWYERS TO THE NEW YORK CITY BAR ASSOCIATION‘S REPORT ON THE ’LEGAL ISSUE INVOLVED IN THE WESTERN SAHARA DISPUTE.”’

This type of work is very specialized and unique to the legal community. lf the Moroccan government decides that this issue is of sufficient importance to engage, the Moffett Group could recommend a prominent law firm to handle the work.

If the Moroccan government already retains a law firm with lawyers licensed to practice before the New York State bar, those lawyeFs might be called upon.

QUESTION 4: ”PROVIDE A QUARTERLY REPORT TO THE AMBASSADOR OF MOROCCO ON PROGRESS MADE CONCERNING CONTACTS WITH MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES AND THEIR STAFF, INDICATING THE VENUE, DATE, CONTACT PERSON, ISSUES DISCUSSED, ETC. »

The Moffett Group would be happy to provide such a report on a quarterly basis.

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