Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 3, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 8 Winnipeg free december 1981 Fez symbolized has sans woes by Douglas Watson Baltimore Sun Morocco problems Are multiplying for Morocco King this country absolute Monarch for the past 20 the collapse of the Arab Summit conference in Fez was but the latest bad Luck for the slightly built King when he has his sunglasses looks a bit like Frank More serious is the drought that has turned moroccan Hills from Rich Green to parched and other economic such As an increase in the past year of about 30 per cent in what this country has had to pay for its Oil also troubling is the toll of the six year id Sahara War that the moroccan army is waging against the Algeria backed Polinario guerrillas who in october killed hundreds of moroccan troops in the wars biggest during which the Polinario forces for the first time used soviet made tanks and surface air missiles that shot Down three moroccan there also Are internal political summer in a general strike called to protest Sharp Price rises in Basic foods degenerated into rioting in which scores of people were killed in clashes with leaders of the main opposition Politi Cal the Union socialist Des forces Populaire remain under House arrest after having been jailed last summer when King Hassan decided their criticism had gone too the United states is beginning to pay More attention to relations have been Friendly Ever since the two countries negotiated a treaty Back in making Morocco the country that has the longest unbroken treaty relationship with the United defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger is scheduled to arrive later this to be followed by Admiral Bobby Deputy director of the Central intelligence and then on by Secretary of state Alexander King Hassan is expected to visit president Reagan probably in to put the Seal on improving relations that turned sour before the Carter administration finally agreed to sell Morocco helicopters and other air Craft needed to fight the Sahara the who number about fighters compared with the moroccan army More than gave the Kings men a Black Eye in october at the moroccan outpost of Guelta zem Mour in the Western a both sides said it was the biggest Battle of what has been mostly a Shad Hildean seek conflict across the vast Morocco has turned to the Reagan administration for help in improving the sophistication of its american made f5 and French made Mirage As Well As of its a Diplomat Here said the problem of the Sam missiles is Only 20 per cent one to be solved with More equipment and 80 per cent teaching Morocco pilots How to evade the exactly what new arms the Reagan administration is expected to sell will not be announced until after Secretary Weinberger comes Joseph the new american am recently returned to Wash apparently to help arrange the arms Sale for which Morocco probably will ask the much wealthier kingdom of saudi Arabia to Morocco army earlier this year completed constructing a 400milelong Sand Wall known As the it encloses the useful or that including the valuable phosphate mines and main towns in the North Western sector of the Western Sahara around the Atlantic coast City of Al the berm is not covered with mines and watched by electronic sensors and armed it has proven an effective deterrent to the jeeps and other Light vehicles the Polinario usually uses in its within the there has been a noticeable decline in pro Pola Sario the War seems Likely to go on at an escalated level so that More moroccan families will be added to the several thousand estimated to have had their sons sent Home in there still is widespread support by moroccans of the War and of King has sans claim to the Western Sahara As historically being part of after he announced in june that Morocco was willing to hold a referendum among the residents of the West pm Sahara to determine their he was criticized by the usop which is More nationalist than socialist de spite its name for proposing a poll Over moroccan sovereignty that is assumed Here to extend to the Western an organization of african Unity committee of the Heads of seven Afri can states was charged with organizing the but it seems to be have More questions than a major question is just who is entitled to there being a big dispute Over the number of people truly resident in the Western those who too openly criticized the proposed referendum soon Felt King has sans among those still being held under House arrest is Abderrahim Secretary general of the usop and a moroccan figure with impeccable nationalist Creden the regime also has shut Down this country opposition More threatening than the War to Morocco May be the drought diplomats could have Cata strophic sociopolitical As Well As eco nomic normally the Rainy season begins in or at least by but Only 14 per cent of the Normal rainfall has fallen this the Start of the second year of unless Down pours come this moroccan livestock Are finding Graz ing very and Farmers have sold off Many herds rather than watch them the worst Impact of a continued drought probably would be Felt in the Spring Sven the annual Harvest could be disastrously this year Morocco has had to import million of additional food to make up for last years poor Grain which was less than half of the Normal million the drought is driving More moroc cans off the land and into the where 40 per cent of the 20 million population with unemployment and inflation already this could become even More explosive than in Casablanca last summer when at least 66 according to the govern and More than according to the were Morocco economic problems in clude one of the worlds highest Popula Tio growth at least per people the which has no Oil of its also is burdened by a jump this year of nearly a third inthe Cost of its Energy due to the increased value of the the currency with which Petroleum must be and to High interest and the unwillingness of Many moroccan businessmen to invest at the according to a Diplomat is that King Hassan is a Man under extraordinary the moroccan Monarch survived assassination attempts in 1971 and and should not be underrated As a Leader capable of maintaining his bal Ance in a changing society even with a rigidly Royal As the moslem worlds Only remain ing that ruler who is both his country spiritual and political King Hassan is still revered by moroc cans who believe he has or special collapse of the Arab league Summit in was just another blow to an already troubled women teeters m l 4799 to now off misses and Chil Drens 81446x to now first Quality big savings on mens ladies toques up to ladies and now him Only warehouse 242 242 Princess open 7 Days i a fam Mappins presents its Christmas Diamond at Mappins weve known for years that diamonds Are special that diamonds express love in a Way no other gift possibly that Why we can Only begin to show you Here the elegance and variety of our full Christmas Diamond come to Mappins for Well help you 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