Beyond Draining the Swamp: Urban Development and Counterterrorism in Morocco

📖 The Scoop

In this paper, civil affairs officer Lieutenant Colonel Steve Dalzell discusses ways in which the Kingdom of Morocco is addressing some of the fundamental social and physical needs of its growing population to preempt social unrest and the potential for support to extremist groups. Morocco's campaign against Islamic extremism merits study because of its importance for the Global War on Terrorism and the apparent linkages between urban conditions and domestic terrorist groups. Using interviews, government documents from Morocco and the United States, and other published sources, Lieutenant Colonel Dalzell sought to determine if and how the Moroccan strategy can serve as a model for other partners in the Global War on Terrorism. His analysis found that the Moroccan strategy offers an example of integrating socioeconomic, ideological, political, and security-sector reforms, particularly in the growing sophistication of Moroccan efforts to eliminate informal housing areas and to increase the government's capacity in urban policing. The author's on-site research observes that establishing security in Moroccan housing areas means more than improving military capabilities or increasing the presence and performance of police. Threats to stability brought on by substandard living conditions and a general lack of opportunity in certain areas of Morocco need to be addressed using pluralistic approaches to improve security, enhance participatory local governance, and develop the physical and social infrastructure. His insightful assessment and observations certainly support the importance of fostering nonkinetic and indirect approaches to conducting the Global War on Terrorism.

Genre: No Category (fancy, right?)