Terrorists have become astoundingly innovative in their utilization of cutting-edge technology. They have kept up with the times by using novel techniques in recruiting new members. Yes, even the Salafists–who are completely against progressivism–are proactively using information technology in their destructive actions. The “Lone Wolf” is one of these modern techniques, according to Haboub Cherkaoui, Director of Morocco’s Judicial Investigation Bureau (BCIJ), the counterpart of United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Cherkaoui provided this information to Barlaman Today on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Casablanca’s most notorious bombings.
This strategy, described by Cherkaoui as the “Strategy of the Free Electron,” is based on self-initiation and rogue operational tactics. The terrorist, once imbued with extremist ideology, researches all steps involved in the destructive act, starting from the compilation of information about the manufacture of explosives, to communication with other terrorists, to (independently) the eventual execution of the attacks.
In short, modern problems require modern solutions, and BCIJ is one of the solutions that Morocco has proposed to counter the terrorist threat in the country.
The inception of the Bureau goes back to 2015, thanks to Statute 35.11. The body boasts two large units, which–in collaboration with each other–oversee terrorism and organized crime with technical and security units as well as special forces.
The BCIJ most definitely has a judiciary role as its power to react to crimes relating to terrorism is governed by Article 108 of criminal law. The body has the ability to counteract criminal gangs, drug trafficking, federal security breaches, money counterfeiting, murder, poisoning, kidnapping, hostage-taking, weapons, explosives, as well as overall threats to public health.
The May 16 attacks were trying times for Morocco and proof that there is no location in the world which can completely avoid the effects of terrorism, and that no human being is infallible. For this reason, King Mohammed VI launched a broad-scope counterterrorism campaign, including but not limited to the following overlapping domains: public safety, legislation, socioeconomics, religion, the media, and international diplomacy/cooperation. The major take-aways of the initiative were the implementation of electronic IDs and biometric passports, and the deployment of a special unit entitled, “Haddar” (which means “caution” in Arabic) in sensitive spots.
BCIJ members are equipped and well-trained in all relevant areas, especially with respect to IT, computer sciences, medicine, and biology. They have also worked closely with other countries in the region and beyond to share intelligence and to coordinate operations.
The proverbial “bite” of the legal system in Morocco has been enhanced by Statutes 03.03 and 86.14, which provide that individuals and groups who commit the offense of joining or attempting to join terrorist organizations and conflict zones face prison sentences of three to ten years.
Morocco has conducted several public awareness campaigns to promote moderate interpretations of the Qur’an and to counter extremist ideology. These campaigns have targeted schools, universities, and mosques, and have been instrumental in preventing radicalization. The restructuring of the religious sphere led to the unification of the khutba (sermon presented at Friday prayers at the mosque) and the fatwa (legal ruling on a point of Islamic law).
The Kingdom uses the Malekite doctrine as a guideline for promoting such compatibility on a regional basis, in particular by promoting its ideals via the Mohammed VI Foundation for African Ulema (religious scholars).
In addition to these measures, Morocco has also invested in developing its economy and improving its social conditions. The country recognizes that poverty and socioeconomic division clearly fuel terrorism, and has therefore implemented public policies to create jobs, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare. These measures have helped to alleviate some of the daily frustrations in life that can lead to radicalization and terrorism.
The media has a major role to play in this anti-terrorism endeavor in raising public awareness about the dangers of radical thinking. For this reason, Morocco has created the Mohammed VI TV and Radio Channel, where moderate Islam is spread via lectures and debates among scholars.
Morocco’s Prison Administration, the Islamic Affairs Ministry, the National Council for Human Rights, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Inmate Reintegration, the Ulema organization (“Rabita Mohammadia des Oulémas”), and other expert sources launched a national program, entitled “Musalaha,” which seeks to bring extremist inmates back into the fold. More than 259 people–both male and female–have benefited from this program since its inception in 2017.
According to Cherkaoui, between 2002-2015, 217 terrorist cells were dismantled, 4400 people had been arrested, and 700 terror plots were thwarted. The above-referenced numbers also include those involved in “spoils of war” crimes, a so-called religiously-justified form of modern extortion against citizens.
Following the creation of the BCIJ in 2015, 90 terror rings—most of them directly connected to ISIS–were obliterated. Morocco evolved from dismantling 21 cells in 2015 to only 2 in 2022, a figure showing that the terrorist threat curve has almost flattened thanks to huge efforts made by the police (DGSN) and territory surveillance authorities (DGST), said Cherkaoui.
Over a thousand Moroccans–1,062 to be exact–joined ISIS, including Sham Al-Islam (Islamic Movement of the Levant/Greater Syria), Jabhat An-Nusra (a Sunni opposition umbrella group aiming to overthrow the Assad regime in Syria), and other rival factions. The BCIJ brought to justice over 1,500 individuals (including 60 with pre-existing criminal records), while 765 perished in war zones, most notably in the Sham.
In October, 2016, a terrorist cell composed of ten women–including seven minors–was dismantled by BCIJ, thanks to intelligence obtained from the DGST. This brings to the forefront how the vulnerability of women–especially mothers–to such radical thought is exploited by terrorist organizations.
Morocco’s counterterrorism experience does not stop at its borders. Indeed, the North African nation unwaveringly participates in countering terrorism internationally, and collaborates with the U.S.–as well as with European, Arab and African States–by sharing intelligence. A specific example of this was the attempted assault on Saint-Denis, France, in Nov. 2015, that was foiled thanks to Moroccan security forces.
The collaboration between BCIJ and Spanish authorities is even more noteworthy. In 2022, a cell operating in Melilla and Nador containing 11 members was dismantled. In 2023, yet another network was neutralized in Agadir and Almeria.
Morocco faces a double threat: internally from radicalized individuals and externally from the Sahel region.
Al-Qaeda and ISIS are very present in the Sahel, as the region represents a veritable hotbed for their activities. Similar terrorist gangs like Ançar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), Jama’a Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), and Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, have already made the zone their respective strongholds.
The Sahel, unfortunately, is marked by recurrent political crises and coexisting weak security, an ideal combination not only for terrorist movements, but also for various separatist groups. For instance, many elements of the Polisario militia are also members of terrorist groups. Others have thrived, as well, and have founded their own terrorist groups. This was the case with Adnane Abu Walid Sahrawi, the forerunner of the Jihadist Group of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.
All told, in assessing the strides Morocco has made over the past twenty years, one can only conclude that the Kingdom has come a long way in its counterterrorism efforts and is now more adequately equipped than ever to address emerging terrorist threats.