Morocco's National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) arrested a man Oct. 5 for allegedly planning to assassinate public figures and attack sensitive sites. Materials to create improvised explosive devices allegedly were found in the Casablanca home of the unidentified man. He reportedly was active on jihadist websites and was particularly in frequent communication with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), from whom he sought instructions on explosives and attack planning. The arrest comes after the BNPJ in September dismantled two suspected terrorist cells also believed to have ties to al Qaeda networks. The number of recently dismantled alleged terrorist cells, an increase in AQIM propaganda efforts in the region and recent warnings from Malian security services indicate an uptick in jihadist activity in Morocco. This is being facilitated by an increase in the sharing of tactics via Internet forums with external al Qaeda elements, including AQIM. Moroccan security forces have responded with an intensified security crackdown on these elements, likely made more effective through the use of Internet-monitoring capabilities and an efficient domestic intelligence network.

An Increase in Communication

The Moroccan Interior Ministry announced the dismantlement of the first suspected cell Sept. 23. The three-man cell allegedly communicated through the Internet with al Qaeda elements in Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya and Iraq. According to government reports, the suspects also maintained continuous contact with AQIM, from whom they had planned to receive weapons and training at a camp abroad in order to carry out attacks in Morocco. The suspects reportedly were planning to assassinate members of security services to seize their weapons and use them in future planned sabotage acts against unidentified targets. The BNPJ broke up the second suspected cell Sept. 29. Ten people were arrested, but five were dismissed after questioning. The cell reportedly was planning attacks against prisons, foreigners and Western interests in Morocco, including local branches of foreign companies and tourist sites. Three of those still being held are from the Hay Mohammady neighborhood in Casablanca, one of whom was a manager at an Internet cafe that the cell likely used to communicate with al Qaeda elements in Yemen, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. Another of the suspects is a close relative to Mohamed Moumou (aka Abu Qaswara), who was a former leader of al Qaeda operations in northern Iraq. Abu Qaswara is of Moroccan origin and Sudanese nationality and was killed by American forces in a 2008 operation in Mosul. Furthermore, the detained group was suspected to have been in contact with Adil Othmani, who is allegedly connected to the April 28 attack in Marrakech that killed 17 people. The attack provoked increased vigilance from Moroccan security forces, which have been mounting an aggressive campaign to dismantle cells and arrest al Qaeda-linked individuals. Both suspected cells and the man arrested Oct. 5 coordinated tactics and methods with other militant elements via the Internet. Al Qaeda has long used the Internet to recruit and inspire individuals transnationally, reaching out to a variety of foreign nationals through media such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's Inspire magazine and in forums that facilitate the sharing of tactics and coordination. Historically, Moroccan jihadist cells have largely sought to acquire weapons domestically, usually by targeting security forces and their arsenals. Reports that those recently arrested sought assistance from al Qaeda elements outside the country indicate increasing efforts to seek external avenues to obtain their needed weaponry and knowledge.

The Moroccan Security Response

The substantial domestic intelligence capabilities of the Moroccan security apparatus have made it generally effective at countering domestic threats. That the suspects in all three recent arrests reportedly were communicating online with outside networks points to the efficiency of Moroccan security forces' Internet-monitoring capabilities and could mean that Morocco has been successful in preventing the development of an effective jihadist command-and-control network in the country. Several recent events have led Sahel countries to increase coordination with the West to target AQIM in the region. Malian security officials recently reported that AQIM plans to develop a network in Morocco, both to destabilize the country and to serve as an operational conduit for attacks in Europe. Additionally, AQIM released a video Aug. 3 vowing an increased tempo of attacks across its area of operations. Combined with the April Marrakech bombing, these events have likely contributed directly to intensified efforts on the part of the Moroccan security services to crack down on suspected terrorist elements in Morocco. For the West to ignore even sporadic, small-scale AQIM attacks in the Sahel would be to risk the group using safe or ungoverned areas and sympathetic individuals to train for attacks elsewhere. The recent increase in jihadist activity inspired by and linked to al Qaeda plays into the greater trend of increased attacks in Algeria and potential for an influx of weapons from Libya. While no evidence of this influx has yet surfaced, the recent arrests, especially the report that one of the cells had planned to receive weapons from AQIM, could indicate an increase in the movement of weapons across North Africa. It is important to note that reports of ties between those arrested and al Qaeda networks all have come from Moroccan officials through Moroccan media. As with many North African countries, it is in the Moroccan government's interest to highlight and emphasize successful arrests and the thwarting of planned attacks. The country has seen some anti-government protests this year in the wake of the fall of the Tunisian government, and the Moroccan government thus can point to these recent arrests as justification for continued authoritarian measures. Furthermore, publicizing these arrests can garner attention — and thus training and intelligence — from the United States and other Western governments. Though it is in the government's best interest to draw attention to these incidents, there is always a grain of truth in such reports. The apparent increase in jihadist cells, and their apparent increased contact with transnational militant networks, fits into the larger trend of general instability in the region. Moroccan citizens' dissatisfaction with their government has not gone away, and we can thus expect the continued use of Internet forums to inspire these citizens to militancy and to foster communication with al Qaeda. As this rises, however, so too will Moroccan security forces' uncovering of potential threats through methods such as increased Internet monitoring.