Morocco jails king insult blogger Sep 10, 2008
The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Rabat, says he was particularly critical of the practice known as grima - giving lucrative licences to run taxis and other transport in exchange for begging letters. Erraji said this did not happen in developed countries, where hard work rather than begging is rewarded. (BBC News -- Africa)
Rice says time not right to lift embargo on Cuba Sep 9, 2008
RABAT, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday that it would be unwise for Washington to lift an embargo against Cuba, despite its pleas following Hurricane Gustav. Cuba spurned an offer from the U.S. to send hurricane victims $100,000 in aid through relief organisations and said on Saturday that the United States should instead sell it relief supplies and allow food sales on credit. (AlertNet)
Qaddafi welcomes Rice with grace - and gifts Sep 9, 2008
Speaking through an interpreter, Condoleezza Rice and Muammar el-Qaddafi marked a new chapter in Libya's reconciliation with the United States. (Mahmud Turkia/Agence France-Presse). (International Herald Tribune)
Rice presses allies for help on terror Sep 8, 2008
Morocco RABAT - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday pressed US allies in North Africa for greater cooperation in the face of terrorism and continued efforts at political change as she ended a visit to the region. Rice said she discussed "the process of reform" in meetings with leaders in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. (Boston Globe)
Rice Touts Close Ties Between U.S. and Morocco Sep 8, 2008
RABAT, Morocco Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrapped up her visit to North Africa with talks Sunday on expanding the close business and security ties between the United States and Morocco. Rice and Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi-Fihri hailed the "excellent" relations between their two countries, according to the state-run news agency, MAP.. (Fox News)
Rice defends Iraq relationship exposed in book Sep 8, 2008
RABAT, Morocco Facing allegations the U.S. spied on its Iraqi allies, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday defended the relationship between the two governments as "very open and transparent.". The top U.S. diplomat did not directly confront the assertion, raised in a new book by Bob Woodward, that the Bush administration spied extensively on Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and others in the Baghdad government. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Rice in Rabat 'for terror talks' Sep 7, 2008
Rice in Rabat 'for terror talks. By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat ... After a historic trip to Libya, she made brief visits to Tunisia and Algeria, before arriving in the Moroccan capital Rabat. (BBC News)
Condoleezza Rice to visit Morocco this week Sep 3, 2008
RABAT, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit Morocco this week during her North African tour, local media reported. During the four-day tour starting from Thursday, the U.S. top diplomat is scheduled to visit Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, Moroccan News Agency reported Tuesday. (Xinhuanet, China)
Chrigu Wins Grand Prize at First Ever International Documentary Film Festival on Cancer Sep 1, 2008
When a local doctor discovers that 11-year-old Mohamad has a tumour, Mohamad and his mother must travel six-hundred kilometers from their village in eastern Morocco to the capital city, Rabat. The Association de L'Avenir provides a place for children and their families to reside during their treatment. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
In Morocco, music fests draw sounds and fury Aug 31, 2008
The yearly Gnaoua mystical music festival in the resort of Essaouira attracts top jazz and rock players, and in Rabat, Morocco's capital, this year's edition of the Mawazine world music fest included Whitney Houston for her return to the stage, jazzman George Benson, and French electro DJ David Vendetta. Mawazine takes place a stone's throw from King Mohammed VI's palace and under his direct patronage. (Boston Globe)
Rye Beach writer takes long road to Morocco Aug 31, 2008
Casablanca is a port city and the principal city of Morocco and our first few days our itinerary allows us to visit Casablanca, Rabat and then east to Fes. But after a few days of city life, Jim and I meet with Khalid. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
* FEATURE: Rift widens over morning calls to prayer in Morocco Aug 11, 2008
AP, RABAT Monday, Aug 11, 2008, Page 7. The muezzins' calls echo well before daybreak, summoning the Muslim faithful to daily prayers and reminding foreign tourists in the Moroccan capital how far they are from home. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Uproar Over Loud Prayer Calls In Muslim Morocco Aug 10, 2008
RABAT, Morocco, Aug. 9, 2008 ... Miloud al-Atifi is an imam who doubles as the muezzin in his small mosque in Sale, a poor suburb of Rabat. (CBS News -- World)
Tiguan: odd name for competent SUV Aug 9, 2008
(That would make it a "Rabat," wouldn't it. Isn't that a city in Morocco. (Boston Globe)
Morocco's Gentle War On Terror Aug 9, 2008
"For centuries, women have been distanced from religion, from the pillars of Islam," says Rajaa Naji El Makaoui, a law professor in Rabat who, in 2003, was the first woman ever invited to give a speech at the royal palace during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting ... One of the monarch's first decrees on ascending the throne in 1999 was to throw open the doors of his father's harem in Rabat, pensioning off dozens of concubines who had rarely been allowed outside the palace walls. (Time.com)
Press Release: Statement by IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the Conclusion of his Visit to Morocco Aug 3, 2008
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement in Rabat on July 30, 2008, at the end of the first day of his visit to Morocco. "I am very pleased to have the opportunity to undertake my first visit to Morocco as Managing Director of the IMF. I congratulate the government of His Majesty King Mohammed VI on Morocco's strong economic gains in recent years, which have made it a pillar of development in the region. I also... (IMF News)
Weather: Partly cloudy, afternoon storms likely Jul 30, 2008
Melbourne, FL 32940 Last Updated: 07/30/08 08:45:41 EDT. C) Relative Humidity: 97% Barometer: 30. (Florida Today)
Morocco: Plot aimed at hotels foiled Jul 13, 2008
RABAT, Morocco - Moroccan security forces foiled a terrorist plot to attack tourists this summer, in what has become a "near-daily" struggle to root out extremist cells increasingly linked to al-Qaida in Iraq, a top security official said Friday. Abdelhak Bassou, head of Morocco's Renseignements Generaux domestic intelligence agency, told The Associated Press in a rare interview that four separate terrorist cells have been broken up so far this year. (MSNBC -- International)
Tagine: one word, many meanings for this Moroccan dish Jul 13, 2008
RABAT, Morocco From ancient Arabs to Williams-Sonoma shoppers: It s the unlikely path of the tagine, the signature slow-cooked and heavily seasoned dish of this North African nation that recently has been co-opted by adventurous American gourmets. But it s a bit of an oversimplification to call tagine a dish, for the term refers not only to a multitude of stews that might feature lamb, chicken or fruits and vegetables, but also to the unusual conical vessels in which they are cooked. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Sacred music Jun 28, 2008
Artists from all over the world converged on its ancient city of Fez, to the east of the capital Rabat. While the Saudi gathering was made up of only Muslim clerics discussing a framework for future dialogue with Christianity and Judaism, Morocco has for years been opening its arms to musicians from all over the world. (BBC News -- Africa)
Morocco -- Preliminary Findings of the 2008 Article IV Consultation Jun 26, 2008
A mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visited Rabat from May 19 to 30, 2008 to conduct the 2008 Article IV discussions. The mission wishes to thank the Moroccan authorities for their warm welcome, excellent cooperation, and the very constructive discussions. (IMF News)
Drive Morocco Jun 25, 2008
The A3 coastal highway from Casablanca to Rabat, and the A2 from Rabat to Fes are well-paved and easily navigable, but bear in mind that unmarked dirt tracks, teetering donkey carts, speeding motorcyclists and the ubiquitous Mercedes-Benz "grand taxis" will undoubtedly put your reaction times and driving skills to the test ... Suggested itinerary: Casablanca - Marrakech - Ouarzazate - Ait Ben Haddou village - Dads Valley - Todra Valley - Merzouga dunes - Midelt - Ifrane - Fes - Rabat -... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Islamist prisoners stage hunger strike in Morocco Jun 22, 2008
A hunger striker reached by telephone in a prison in Kenitra, just north of Rabat, the capital, said the prisoners wanted justice. "We had been parts of mass trials and got long sentences, even though there had been no evidence," said the inmate, who identified himself as Mourad Sarouf and said he had been falsely convicted of being a member of a group that planned attacks in Morocco. (International Herald Tribune)
Rwanda/Morocco: Amavubi Should Go for Result Over Style Jun 15, 2008
After today's meeting in Kigali, the two teams face off again next weekend in Rabat as the second half of the campaign gets underway. Morocco are missing several top players including their Portuguese league-winner Tarik Sektioui, Ukraine-based midfielder Badr El Kaddouri, France-based Marouane Chamakh and Anderlecht's Mbark Boussoufa for the game. (allAfrica.com)
Volubilis - An Ancient City Jun 13, 2008
It can also be visited in day trips while en route to or from the cities of Fez, Rabat, and. A modest admission of 20 dirhams is charged. (Suite101.com)
Morocco moves to strengthen port co-op with Europe Jun 13, 2008
RABAT, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The authorities of new Moroccan port Tanger-Med and three European ports have entered into a cooperation agreement with the aim of spurring the development of trade and strengthening security, according to the official Moroccan News Agency (MAP). The agreement, which was signed on Thursday in the northern Morocco city of Tangier, will boost the cooperation between the Tanger-Med port and the ports of Algeciras in Spain, Calais in France and Dover in Britain. (Xinhuanet, China)
Casablanca, MoroccoTravel Jun 12, 2008
Travelers might like to plan road trips to the nearby cities of Al Jadida and Rabat. Although further away, the Imperial Cities of Marrakech, Fez, and Meknes as well as the Roman ruins at Volubulis can also be managed in a day if travel time is limited. (Suite101.com)
* Rights group warns of psychological risks for detainees Jun 12, 2008
It quoted him as saying that an American female photographed his wounds before he boarded a plane in the Moroccan city of Rabat on the night of Jan. 21, 2004. The CIA declined to comment on Reprieves claims. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Partner of failed bomber convicted for not alerting British police Jun 12, 2008
The criminal court in Sale, near Morocco's capital, Rabat, sentenced 27 members of an Islamist group in a decision late Tuesday, the news agency reported. Two additional defendants judged in absentia each were sentenced to one year in prison, the agency said. (International Herald Tribune)
U.K. Rights Group: U.S. Tortured Detainee Jun 11, 2008
Reprieve quoted Mohamed as saying that an American female photographed his wounds before he boarded a plane in the Moroccan city of Rabat on the night of Jan. 21, 2004. "When she saw the injuries I had she gasped. She said: 'Oh, my God, look at that!' Then all her mates looked at what she was pointing at and I could see the shock and horror in her eyes," Mohamed was quoted as saying. (CBS News)
Morocco jails terror cell members Jun 11, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat. The town of Tetouan is known as a hotbed of radical Islam. (BBC News -- Africa)
Letter from Morocco Jun 11, 2008
Women come and go from her office in Rabat, the capital, wearing free-flowing hairdos and short-sleeved blouses - marks of the secular, urban Moroccan woman. Idrissi, 51, says judges intimidate wives who seek divorce by saying their action is un-Islamic. (International Herald Tribune)
Press Release: Statement by an IMF Staff Mission to Morocco Jun 11, 2008
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Mark Lewis visited Rabat from May 19-30, 2008, to conduct the consultation discussions under Article IV of the IMF Articles of Agreement. At the end of the mission, the IMF issued the following statement today. (IMF News)
Katie Batchelder's Summer Excursion to Morocco Jun 5, 2008
I am in a group of nine cadets and one AF Captain, and we are staying in Rabat, the capital of Morocco ... The bus drive to Rabat was an eye-opening experience. (Airforcesports.com)
Moroccan magic Jun 4, 2008
RABAT, Morocco - From ancient Arabs to Williams-Sonoma shoppers. It's the unlikely path of the tagine, the signature slow-cooked and heavily seasoned dish of this North African nation that recently has been co-opted by adventurous American gourmets. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Exotic tagines: Not just a dish, it's a food, too Jun 4, 2008
Your Connection to the. Web Search powered by YAHOO. (Athens Banner-Herald)
* Stuck in Morocco, a growing number of migrants face a life of hardship May 26, 2008
By Sinikka Tarvainen and Mohsin el-Hassouni DPA, RABAT Monday, May 26, 2008, Page 9 ... Not only do the increasing numbers of black Africans living in the country have few chances of finding jobs, they come under constant police harassment, Guyguy and three other Africans complained in the capital, Rabat ... I have been deported to Oujda more times than I can count, said Guyguys fellow countryman Mariano, who always made it back to Rabat. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Gulf projects struggle to develop in North Africa May 23, 2008
A Dubai Holding project announced in early 2006 to redevelop the Bou Regreg estuary at Rabat, the Moroccan capital, is taking shape, though at nothing like the pace seen in places like Dubai. A plan by Emaar Properties, based in Dubai, to transform Rabat's run-down Atlantic shoreline is more than two years old but the only obvious signs of progress are a patch of earthworks and a showroom. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
* FEATURE: Moroccan king pulls strings despite calls for democracy May 21, 2008
KING OF THE POOR: Mohammed VI is infuriating politicians by sidestepping the government to take a personal role in reducing poverty and development programs DPA, RABAT Wednesday, May 21, 2008, Page 6. Dressed in white, sometimes wearing the traditional red fez cap, a faint smile on his lips, Moroccos King Mohammed VI looks majestically out of countless photographs hanging in shops, banks and restaurants in the capital. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Morocco DA Urges Jail for Alleged Terror Suspects May 21, 2008
(RABAT, Morocco) A Moroccan prosecutor on Tuesday urged a court to impose prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years for alleged members of a militant cell accused of supporting insurgents in Iraq and plotting terrorist bombings ... The case is being heard by the criminal court in Sale, near the capital, Rabat, that specializes in handling terrorism cases. (Time.com)
Report: 11 held in Belgium, Morocco plots May 20, 2008
RABAT, Morocco - Moroccan security services have arrested 11 people accused of plotting attacks in Morocco and Belgium and having links to Iraq's insurgency, the Moroccan state news agency reported Monday. The suspects, including a Moroccan living in Belgium, were arrested in the cities of Nador and Fez, the MAP agency reported, citing unidentified police officials. (MSNBC -- International)
The Polisario 'Berlin Wall' May 18, 2008
T.C., ""GOD BLESS MY AMERICA""May 16, 2008 @ 08:28 AM"Ericka, where did you source your information? Rabat?" ... Robert Holley, the man who runs this show, is the director of MACP which is Rabat's official lobbying arm in the US. I suppose next issue will run a story on the Chineseness of Tibet and the evil of Dalai Lama sourced to the local chapter of the Chinese Communist Party. (Human Events Online)
Morocco denies migrant killing May 9, 2008
The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Rabat, says the reaction from Morocco is extremely unusual. The authorities do not generally comment on the frequent drownings of migrants off the Moroccan coast, he says. (BBC News -- Europe)
Archaeologists uncover caveman bling May 8, 2008
RABAT - Archaeologists have uncovered shells used for finery by prehistoric man 85,000 years ago in a cave in eastern Morocco, the country's heritage institute said today. A research team led by archaeology and heritage institute (INSAP) member Abdeljalil Bouzouggar and Nick Barton from Oxford University found the 20 perforated shells in a cave near Taforalt between March and April this year. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Moroccan Police Arrest Escaped Terrorist May 2, 2008
RABAT, Morocco Moroccan police have arrested one of nine convicts who escaped from prison in April and were linked to deadly 2003 terror attacks, the official MAP news agency reported Thursday ... Chetbi and eight others escaped last month from the prison in the town of Kinitra, about 30 miles northeast of the capital, Rabat. (Fox News)
Free W Sahara called 'unrealistic' Apr 23, 2008
Van Walsum suggested breaking the impasse by basing further talks on two "realities" - that the Security Council would not force Morocco into a referendum but the UN would not recognise Rabat's sovereignty over Sahara without an accord ... Rabat has ruled out independence but offered autonomy for the that would enable the indigenous Sahrawi people to run their own affairs through various representative legislative, executive and judicial bodies under Moroccan sovereignty. (Aljazeera.Net)
Lifelong rebel Apr 20, 2008
As I get ready to head back to Rabat, I ask Mohamed a last question. After more than a decade in jail, after being tortured and humiliated, and at his advanced age, would he be prepared to go to prison again for his beliefs. (BBC News)
Adventurers urge others to go on an African surfing safari Apr 12, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat. The surfers do not want to go back to their day jobs. (BBC News -- Africa)
Invest now 'or face water crisis' Apr 11, 2008
"We've simply got to reduce the amount of water used, especially in agriculture, which accounts for 85% of the total," said Julia Bucknall, natural resource management specialist at the World Bank, addressing reporters Rabat, Morocco. She added that water firms needed to cut water lost by evaporation. (BBC News -- Africa)
Mideast Can Avert Impending Water Crisis - World Bank Apr 11, 2008
RABAT - The Middle East is overusing limited water resources and the amount of water available per head will halve by 2050, leading to social strains as more people quit the countryside, the World Bank said on Thursday ... "We've simply got to reduce the amount of water used, especially in agriculture which accounts for 85 percent of the total," Julia Bucknall, natural resource management specialist at the World Bank, told reporters in the Moroccan capital Rabat. (Planet Ark, United States)
* Nine convicted bombers tunnel out of Moroccan jail Apr 9, 2008
An official representing a prisoners welfare group said the fugitives had escaped from Kenitra prison north of Rabat after dawn prayers at 5:30am ... Arrested in Casablanca last year, Houssaini appeared before the court in Sale south of Rabat with 18 fellow defendants, but the tribunal adjourned the case until next month. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Meet Morocco Apr 9, 2008
"There are many places beyond Marrakech that people should consider putting on their agenda," said Vanessa Noel Brown, from Washington, D.C, who has been studying in Rabat, the capital city, on a postgraduate scholarship since September 2007 ... Adriana Valencia, a postgraduate scholar from UC Berkeley, who lived in Rabat in 2006 and often comes back, urges visitors to explore a little ... "Just ride a bicycle from Rabat to Essaouira, and stop in basically every small town and city in between,"... (North County Times)
Casablanca bomb convicts escape Apr 9, 2008
Prison authorities at Kenitra, 40km (25 miles) north of the capital, Rabat, noticed the escape on Monday morning, the justice ministry told state media. An interior ministry source told AFP news agency that the prisoners had tunnelled their way out. (BBC News -- Africa)
Red-facedJailbreak is a setback to Morocco's anti-terror profile Apr 9, 2008
By James Copnall BBC News, Rabat ... The Moroccan authorities are not saying how the men escaped from Kenitra prison, north of Rabat. (BBC News -- Africa)
9 jailed for terror escape Morocco prison Apr 8, 2008
The Moroccan Justice Ministry said in a statement that officials discovered Monday morning that the nine had escaped from a prison in Kenitra, 25 miles northwest of the capital Rabat, MAP reported. The ministry said all measures have been taken to find the escapees. (MSNBC -- International)
Morocco bombers in jail break Apr 8, 2008
Abderrahim Mahtade, president of the Annasir association, a prisoner-rights advocacy group, said the men escaped from the Kenitra prison, north of Rabat, after dawn prayers on Monday. One of the men was reportedly on death row. (Aljazeera.Net)
Casablanca bombers tunnel out of jail Apr 8, 2008
Police escort vans containing Islamists as they leave the Rabat criminal court in 2003, after a trial that was part of investigations into the suicide bombings in Casablanca that claimed 45 lives ... An official representing a prisoners' welfare group said the fugitives had escaped from Kenitra prison north of Rabat after dawn prayers at 5 ... Arrested in Casablanca in 2007, Houssaini appeared before the court in Sale south of Rabat with 18 fellow defendants, but the tribunal adjourned the case... (iAfrica.com)
Dramatic variety and culinary splendor in Morocco Apr 3, 2008
"There are many places beyond Marrakech that people should consider putting on their agenda," said Vanessa Noel Brown, from Washington D.C., who has been studying in Rabat, the capital city, on a postgraduate scholarship since September 2007. The U.S. Department of State warns that the "potential for terrorist violence" in Morocco is high. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Full Story » Apr 2, 2008
His goal, as he explained, was to build bridges of cultural understanding, said Mary Dando, director of CU's study abroad program, where David spent the spring semester of his sophomore year at CU in Rabat, Morocco. He wanted to learn the language of people who have mixed feelings about us. (Boulder Colorado Daily, CO)
Embedded programs offer diverse class atmospheres Apr 1, 2008
"My 13 students lived with Moroccan families in the old city of Rabat, the capital, and commuted to class each day for a week," said Richard Schuhmann, professor of Engineering 497C (Leadership and innovation for meeting 21st century water resource challenges). "Traveling abroad like this is a very immersive experience, and it gives students a depth of cultural experience in one week.". (Daily Collegian, PA)
Senior CPC official hails China-Africa relations Mar 30, 2008
RABAT, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Gratifying achievements were made in the developments of relations between China and Africa in the past year, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official has said. Speaking at a symposium of Chinese and Moroccan entrepreneurs here Thursday, Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the implementation of the eight concrete measures proposed by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the 2006 Beijing Summit of... (Xinhuanet, China)
Post a comment Mar 24, 2008
Posted by: Crickett Carlisle, Rabat, Morocco 21 March 2008. being in china, we dont see much or know much as the foreigners do, so to some extent we are blinded by our gov. but on the other hand i dont think i can trust all that said by foreigners about china s bad. (International Herald Tribune)
Facebook faker receives royal pardon Mar 21, 2008
Moroccan engineers and human-rights activists protest in the capital Rabat, seeking the release of Fouad Mourtada. . (MSNBC -- International)
Morocco 'Facebook prince' pardon Mar 20, 2008
Protesters in Rabat had been calling for Fouad Mourtada's release ... But the BBC's James Copnall in Rabat says the case shows that the royal family remains a taboo subject in Morocco. (BBC News -- Africa)
High school trip to Morocco fosters Arab appreciation Mar 19, 2008
" The first leg of the trip was spent in the capital city of Rabat, where they visited the royal palace of King Mohammed VI and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. "The architecture was incredible, everything was so grand, so regal. Beautiful mosaic pieces were literally hand-picked to create art on the walls and streets," said Bart Weber, 18. Next they visited the coastal city of Essaouira, known for its fish market and wood-crafting. "Fresh eels and sharks lined the streets; even camels were being... (Shoreline Times, CT)
