An international investigation claims to have foiled an Al-Qa'eda plot in Morocco, but investigators are keeping details of the alleged plans close to their chests, writes Mukul Devichand from London On 11 May 2002, three Saudi Arabian men resident in Morocco who were "well-integrated in Moroccan society" -- as Moroccan police would later describe them -- arrived at Casablanca Airport. Before they could board their plane, however, they were arrested by security officers who had been on their trail for weeks. The trio were suspected of belonging to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qa'eda network and were later accused of planning a suicide attack on US and British warships in the Straits of Gibraltar. Much later, the world would learn that the Moroccan police were not acting alone, but instead as part of "Operation Gibraltar" -- a joint security operation involving the US, UK, Spain, France and several other countries. But for an entire month after the arrests, silence. It now appears that Morocco, wary of being vilified in the global "war on terror" hysteria, was afraid to admit it may have active Al-Qa'eda "cells" on its territory. Exactly one month later, Monday 11 June 2002, Moroccan security's hand was forced. Journalists from the French news magazine L'Express, who had been secretly following the Moroccan arrests, decided to publish what they knew. "Al-Qa'eda uses Morocco as a safe haven for operations," proclaimed the magazine. The story hit the newsstands on Monday morning and by late that night a Moroccan official, who continually refused to tell anyone his name, was briefing a select group of journalists in Skhirat, 15 miles south of Rabat. The Saudi trio, he said, were suspected of preparing "terrorist attacks" on NATO targets. He indicated that the Saudis were directly linked to Bin Laden's organisation. The men are suspected of trying to "enlist locals to become suicide bombers and sail dinghies, laden with explosives, into US and British warships" the same type of suicide attack carried out against the USS Cole, an American warship docked in Yemen in October 2000, in which 17 seamen died and 37 were injured. "The terrorist attacks will never be forgotten, nor will they deter us," US Rear Admiral John Foley said, at a recent memorial service for those who died on the USS Cole. News of the arrests came during a week of "war on terror" mania. On Monday, US officials began to speak of a radioactive "dirty bomb" threat in the US, and of Al-Qa'eda operatives in India-controlled Kashmir. They were later forced into an embarrassing climb-down over both statements. If indeed the three Saudi men -- named on Tuesday as Hilal Jaber Awad Al-Assiri, Zuheir Hilal Mohamed Al-Tbaiti and Abdullah Musafer Ali Al-Ghamdi -- were Al-Qa'eda operatives, they had done a remarkable job of seamlessly integrating into Moroccan life. L'Express reported that each of the suspects, aged between 25 and 35, had set up his own business. One was an employment agent, a second was an importer of fabrics and the third worked in tourism. The magazine alleges that Moroccan accomplices helped them set up several bank accounts. In fact, they had more local connections than that: all three were married to Moroccan women. Two of those women were also arrested on the same day, Monday 11 June, and accused of working for Al-Qa'eda. International security cooperation in "Operation Gibraltar" was initiated after Al-Qa'eda suspects from Afghanistan being detained by the US in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, indicated that a "cell" was active in Morocco, the French publication reported. The suspects were held in custody in Casablanca until their trial, which started this week. Diplomatic sources said that the men were trying to plan suicide operations from Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish-governed towns on the northern Moroccan coast. The towns would allow access to a militarily crucial area in which Moroccan, Spanish, French, American and British interests all have a part to play. (see box) Details of the joint security operation were leaked over the next few days. Nevertheless, neither Moroccan nor any other security agency has yet produced full evidence of the "terrorist" plans. The UK Ministry of Defence in London told Al-Ahram Weekly: "We don't discuss intelligence matters, but we obviously welcome the arrests if they prevent any possible threats to our ships." The same line was being taken at Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office: "It is for the Moroccans to provide the evidence, though we are in very close touch with them," said a spokesman. The Saudi Arabian government was also supportive of the arrests. "A joint investigation is being conducted with our Moroccan brethren and we hope to reach positive results," said Prince Ahmed Bin Abdel-Aziz in Jeddah last week. Despite the suspects' long period of detention-- over a month-- human rights groups such as Amnesty International have not yet pushed the issue. "A team led by our Moroccan researcher Phillip Luther is going to Morocco next week. Although the new detentions aren't the focus of their investigation, they will be keeping their eyes open," a spokesperson from the organisation's head office told the Weekly. The only evidence Moroccan security have yet revealed is that the suspects have allegedly confessed to Al-Qa'eda membership. It is thought more evidence will be revealed in the course of this week's trial. A lot to lose at the gateway to Europe THE STRAITS of Gibraltar, just over 10 kilometres of sea that separate Morocco and Europe, are home to some of the world's most strategically crucial military installations. Gibraltar, a UK-held territory on the southern Spanish coast, is regarded as a crucial outpost overlooking the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Britain maintains a naval repair and resupply base in the territory, which recently upgraded its security status such that all officers are now armed. The UK's Royal Navy has several ships in the immediate area. When asked what security measures are being taken in the wake of the threat of a USS Cole-style attack, a Royal Navy spokesman refused to be engaged. "We do not comment on specific measures -- that would rather give the game away," he told the Weekly. The US also has several warships in the area. UK and US warships often serve as part of NATO missions. Spain and France are also major military powers in the region. Spain administers the Moroccan towns of Ceuta and Melilla, from which the suspected attacks were to have been launched. Thousands of Moroccan and other Arab workers cross into Spain on a daily basis, leading to speculation that Al-Qa'eda members could seek to gain access to Europe by joining the flow of migrant workers.
