New Terror Attacks in Morroco

[Lord Merciless]

This is just in: CNN

[Spiffor]

This is happening so often I don't have enough energy to yell BASTARDS

3 cars exploded simultaneously. An organized attack, and deadly efficient.
However, it seems these weren't suicide attacks, so it appears the terrorist modus operandi isn't the same in Morocco as in ME. Could that be a new tactics of the Saharian separatists ?

[The Mad Monk]

A good rule of thumb for 'big news' like this is, "the first three reports are wrong".

That said...

At Least 20 Die in Casablanca Blasts


By NICOLAS MARMIE
The Associated Press
Friday, May 16, 2003; 9:38 PM


RABAT, Morocco - Four explosions tore through the coastal city of Casablanca Friday night, killing at least 20 people in blasts that went off near a synagogue and heavily damaged the Belgian consulate, officials said.

Two policemen outside the consulate were killed and a security guard was hospitalized, Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesman Didier Seeuws told the Belgian news agency Belgas.

A U.S. official said that the blast were caused by car bombs and at least one occurred near a synagogue. "No U.S. government facility was targeted," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Joanne Moore said in Washington. officials said.

The Interior Ministry said at least 20 people were killed and several other injured. Security officials said there were burned-out vehicles at the four sites near consulates and restaurants in the center of the city, Morocco's economic center.

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel sent a message of condolances to the Moroccan government denoiuncing all forms of terrorism.

It wasn't immediately clear who was behind the attacks in Morocco. But U.S. counterterrorism officials in Washington had warned Friday of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network to strike lightly defended targets worlwide, citing the bombings earlier this week in Saudi Arabia as well as threats in Africa and Asia.

The suicide blasts in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, killed 34 people at three foreigners' housing compounds.

U.S. and British authorities had warned of threats in East Africa, particularly Kenya, and in southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia. U.S. officials also received an unconfirmed report that a possible terrorist attack may occur in the western Saudi city of Jiddah.

Morocco, considered a moderate Arab nation, has been a staunch U.S. ally. But it expressed regret that a peaceful solution could not be found in the Iraq crisis.

The Moroccan public turned out in large numbers for anti-war protests against the Iraq war, including one in the capital, Rabat, in March that drew 200,000 people.

King Mohammed VI has expressed concern the war could rouse the country's Islamic fundamentalist movement.

Al-Qaida has suffered serious blows in recent months, including the capture of alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. But senior al-Qaida leaders were thought to be hiding in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, U.S. officials said.

In another North African country, an explosion on April 11, 2002, tore apart sections of a synagogue on the Tunisian resort island of Djerba, killing 21 people, mostly foreign tourists. The blast has been linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

© 2003 The Associated Press

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003May16.html

[Spiffor]

Maybe a good initiative would be to reconsider the strategy in the war on terror ?

[The Mad Monk]

Which of the above targets were American?

[The Mad Monk]

Deadly bomb attacks hit Casablanca

At least 20 people have been killed and a number injured in a series of bomb attacks in Morocco's largest city Casablanca, security officials said.

Four explosions - three of them car bombs - occurred within half an hour at locations near the centre of the city, authorities said.

The interior minister said the attacks "bear the hallmark of international terrorism".

The targets appeared to include the Belgian consulate, the Safir Hotel, a Jewish community centre and Casa de Espana - a Spanish restaurant.

Local journalist Aboubakr Jammai told the BBC that witnesses had spoken of "many dead" and injured. "There are body parts all over the place," he said.

The bombings in Morocco's commercial capital come against a background of worldwide terror alerts and just days after a series of car bomb attacks in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, which killed 34 people.

The blasts in Riyadh were blamed on Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, and analysts say the clear planning and co-ordination of the simultaneous attacks in Casablanca will throw suspicion on the group once more.

According to Morocco's interior ministry the burnt-out wrecks of three vehicles possibly used to carry bombs can be seen at the scene of three of the attacks.

Mr Jammai said that a fourth bomb attack, that on the Hotel Safir, had been carried out by a suicide bomber and not a car bomb.

He said that at least eight people had been killed in that incident alone.

Guards killed

Belgian foreign ministry spokesman Didier Seeuws told the Belgian news agency Belga that the country's consulate was heavily damaged by the attack near it.

He said two policemen outside the building were killed and a security guard needed hospital treatment for his injuries.

Mr Jammai said that a fellow journalist at Casablanca's main hospital had reported that the facility had been inundated by injured people, many of whom had been severely burned.

The streets of Casablanca are reported to be largely empty as frightened residents raced home to take shelter.

Casablanca, Morocco's economic capital, is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south west of Rabat on the Atlantic coast.

Prime suspects

The BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo says it is too early to draw any conclusions as to whether al-Qaeda is involved.

She says that the attacks appear to have hit substantial numbers of Moroccans, rather than just foreigners.

But she adds that there are no Moroccan activist groups which are known to use violence to further their cause, so this may indicate the involvement of an international terrorist group such as al-Qaeda.

Morocco has been a staunch ally of the US, although it did express opposition to the war against Iraq, with King Mohammed VI warning that it could anger the country's Islamic fundamentalists.

Both US and British authorities have issued a number of recent warnings about possible terrorist attacks in East Africa, particularly Kenya, and South East Asia, especially Malaysia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3035803.stm

[Dr Strangelove]

The leadership of al_Queda has been feeling depressed lately because the people of the world have been focusing on Iraq and Saddam Hussein, and had nearly forgotten about them. The hate index was dropping precariously low. In a series orf bold moves they've shifted their focus away from innocent Africans to their own Arabic people. After all, no one carries a grudge like an Arab. By attacking their Muslim brothers they're guarenteed decades of hatred. To an al-Queda member it just doesn't get better than that.

[The Mad Monk]

Radio just said ten suicide bombers on five targets -- add the Spanish consulate and a Jewish cemetary to list.

Why would anyone suicide bomb a cemetary?

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
The hate index was dropping precariously low.

I needed something to lift my spirits. Thank you.

[Edan]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk

Why would anyone suicide bomb a cemetary?

To guarantee dead bodies at the scene?

OK, thats enough black humor for me.

[Lord Merciless]

Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, and now Morroco, is Al-Qaeda declaring the war against the entire world? These bombings couldn't have come at a worse time when divisions between major Western powers are quite visible. Now after your nice carefully planned suicide bombings, you just forced them into the same boat again.

[The Mad Monk]

The planners probably expected the Iraq war to be ongoing at this time, so that this would be a signal for a 'great uprising'. Looks like somebody forgot to tell the troops to hold up.

[ixnay]

These bombings in Casablanca are obviously a message that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez should not remake the classic movie of the same name.

In that case, this is one instance in which I agree with the terrorists.

[Eli]

The Israeli Foreign Ministry claims that there is a direct connection between the attacks in Riad and Casablanca and the attack in Israel by two Brit bombers a while ago.

[Stefu]

I can't but wonder whether this has anything to do with Aznar's visible support for the Iraq war.

Why the Belgian consulate would be included in that case is a mystery to me, though.

[Pekka]

Let's roll.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Which of the above targets were American?

I thought the war on terorrism was an international common effort to strike against a worldwide meance that may hit all of us ?
Obviously, if the targets aren't American, it's not US concern I'm sure you'd have loved it if other countries in the world had say "It's your problem, not ours" at Sept. 11

[Az]

Spiff, chill. I don't think he said anything about it not being a US concern.

[Spiffor]

Yet, he seemed not to see the corelation between this attack and the war on terrorism, because there were no American targets.

[The Mad Monk]

Now Spiffor, you know that's not what I meant.

Americans were all gung-ho for war against Iraq, and Europeans, by and large were against it. France and Belgium certainly were, and someone in Belgium has gone so far as to try and bring Franks and Powel up on charges for war crimes in that interantional court of theirs.

In short, you've (collectively) been supporting them against us.

...and who do they hit?

Just shows how far gratitude goes, these days.

Or maybe, just maybe, it shows what these fanatics think of Westerners, regardless of their 'stand'.

[Spiffor]

Or maybe, just maybe, it shows what these fanatics think of Westerners, regardless of their 'stand'.

Yes obviously. The general supporters of fanatic organizations are probably intelligent enough (I'm talking about Joe Arab Civilian here) to distinguish between western countries, but the hardcore fanatics who actually pull the trigger do not.

But please be aware that for most French people (and I assume most people in any country outside of the US), Iraq had nothing to do with terrorism, and the rumored Al Qaeda links were a mere cheap excuse to legitimate the war in the eye of the public opinion.

[The Mad Monk]

I always said that the war in Iraq has more to do with Syria, Iran, and Saudi than with Iraq.

Getting rid of one of the most brutal regimes on the planet was just icing on the cake.

[The Mad Monk]

I have no doubt they are 'intelligent enough' to distinguish between 'friendly' and 'unfriendly' western powers.

They just don't care. In the end, they want us all gone.

[Sten Sture]

Here's a little update, with two points - one that says they weren't using car bombs, the other that the Belge embassy was close to the US one. (perhaps they got it wrong, or the US target was too well defended - though Reuters says the target was Among the dead were two policemen who had been standing outside Belgium's consulate which took the brunt of a blast apparently aimed at the Jewish-owned restaurant opposite. ) I have a relative in the US embassy - yikes. Spainish interests appear to be the main focus.


THE OFFICIAL MOROCCAN news agency, MAP, said that three people had been arrested in connection with the explosions, which occurred simultaneously about 9:20 p.m. (5:20 p.m. ET)..
A government official said the death toll was at least 40.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were probably foreigners among the victims. He also said that investigations had shown that all the attacks were suicide bombings, and that car bombs had not been used.
“International terrorism has struck Casablanca tonight,” Interior Minister Mustapha Sahel said Saturday in a statement.
Speaking on Moroccan television, Sahel said 10 of the dead were the bombers. At least 100 more were injured in the blasts. Most of the victims were Moroccans, he said.
Witnesses said many of the casualties occurred at a Jewish community center. U.S. officials in the region told NBC News that other explosions took place in front of the five-star Hotel Safir Casablanca, at an exclusive Spanish club and at the Belgian consulate. There was no immediate information on the location of the fifth explosion.
A policeman at Casa de Espana, exclusive club popular with Spanish businessmen and diplomats, said the attackers slit the porter’s throat on entering.
Casa de Espana club president Rafael Bermudez, still in shock and wearing a blood-stained shirt, told Reuters: “I heard two blasts and thought they were short-circuits.”
Witnesses said at least one attacker blew himself up with grenades strapped to his belt.
Rescue workers left the building carrying black plastic bags which appeared to contain parts of dismembered bodies.
The Belgian consulate is near the U.S. consulate, which officials said did not appear to have been targeted and was unharmed. U.S. officials said that the bomb at the Belgian consulate was very powerful and that the building was heavily damaged.

[Spiffor]

Suicide attacks. Now this is a signature.

[Pekka]

I still got only two words. Lets Roll.

[Az]

Spiff: please, don't start with the "if we'll behave, maybe they won't hurt us" mentality.

[Spiffor]

It is not my attitutde. I'm saying the strategy in the war on terror is a failure, because you don't wage war on terror through conventional means.

I'm all for an international police / military cooperation to crush terrorist groups. And I know these terrorist organizations will attack every western country, whatever "friendly" or not (it is Joe Ramallah who makes the difference but this difference doesn't hinder him giving some money to Al Qaeda - It is Suicide Bob who doesn't make any difference, as well as his leaders).

If we behave, they will hurt and. If we attack the Arabs all guns blazing, they will hurt us too, because they'll continue supporting the terrorists.

The change of strategy would be to continue destroying the terrorist groups with discreet means (spec-ops, secret police, you name it).
AND, to befriend with Arab nations and populations, by having peace, and by cooperating with them without forcing a cultural / economic model upon them. The recent steps of US diplomacy seem to be positive in that aspect. Finally.

[Az]

I feel that it's a position that is derivative of current traditional arab culture. As long as we don't say to anyone with wrong views that they're wrong, they'll keep thinking they're right.

And yes, their views are wrong.

[Spiffor]

If you say to people they are wrong by killing their relatives, or their relatives' relatives (which is what an all-out war does), I don't think they'll be very open to listen to you. But that's just me.