The Moroccan Terror Connection

MIDDLE EAST TIMES ^ | December 8, 2008 | OLIVIER GUITTA

[Cindy]

WASHINGTON -- Until recently Morocco was more likely to be associated with tourism, rather than terrorism. That trend however is slowly changing.

That change began on May 16, 2003 when Morocco suffered its first experience at the hands of Islamist terrorism. That day, Casablanca was hit with four simultaneous terror attacks that left 45 people dead and hundreds injured. Al-Qaida style attacks were perpetrated by Moroccan citizens belonging to the GICM (Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, known by its French acronym), a group affiliated with Osama bin Laden's organization.

[livius]

Morocco has long been known for its expansionist Islamicism. During the Islamic invasions of Spain starting in the 8th century, many of the invaders were Berbers from what is now Morocco. It simmered down during the colonial period but starting in teh 1970s (particularly with the “Green March”), it got back to its old Muslim expansionist self.

There was great shock in Spain a couple of years ago when the idiotic Spanish PM, Zapatero, met with the king of Morocco in front of a map that showed not only Ceuta and Melilla (two Spanish cities in North Africa) but the Canary Islands colored in Morocco’s colors. The Moroccan government is very corrupt but, like any good Islamist state, has its eyes firmly on conquest.

[Cindy]

Yes, there is history there and I thank you for posting it livius.

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Also thinking of Spain here...

There’s also “andalus” which keeps popping up from time to time, too which seems important to some jihadi types over the years.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/andalus
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/alandalus