Madrid – Spanish security experts and journalists have leveled serious accusations against the Moroccan regime, claiming it is waging a "hybrid" and "covert" war against Madrid by leveraging illegal immigration and espionage as tools to exert pressure on Spain for political and financial gains.
Security expert and former chief of staff of the Spanish Army, Fulgencio Coll, articulated these concerns in an interview with the Spanish newspaper "OK Diario." He asserted that Morocco employs immigration flows as a means to manipulate Madrid, citing the events that unfolded in Ceuta at the end of July last year as a prime example.
Coll characterized the situation last summer as an "invasion," emphasizing that it transcended a mere immigration crisis and was part of a broader strategy aimed at exerting political and strategic pressure. He underscored that Rabat is conducting a "hybrid war" against Madrid, utilizing non-military tactics to achieve its political objectives.
Not content with merely criticizing, Coll advocated for bolstering the military presence in Ceuta, which borders Morocco. He also proposed the use of Spanish and European economic and trade tools to counter Morocco's pressures.
In a similar vein, investigative journalist José Bautista, who has conducted extensive research on Moroccan intelligence operations through the Israeli spyware "Pegasus," stated that Morocco is engaged in a "covert war" against Spain, employing immigration, espionage, and security cooperation tools to pressure Madrid. He strongly condemned the Moroccan regime, labeling it as "dictatorial."
Bautista elaborated in an interview with the Spanish newspaper "InfoBay" that the immigration crisis in Ceuta was a direct result of the "covert war" waged by Moroccan intelligence against Madrid, which eventually led to a loss of control over the influx of migrants.
The Spanish journalist expressed his belief that Morocco is "not a rule of law state" and that the security forces operate with a significant degree of autonomy, disregarding democratic norms, even in their interactions with Spain through the leverage of immigration, as witnessed during the crises of 2021, 2022, and last July in Ceuta.
Bautista pointed out that one of the reasons for the Moroccan regime's allowance of tens of thousands of migrants to flood into Ceuta was a July investigation involving 14 European media outlets in collaboration with the organization "Forbidden Stories," which focused on Moroccan intelligence, unveiling details about its "arsenal and key personnel," and revealing "highly sensitive information" about them.
Additionally, Bautista highlighted the influence of royal advisor Fouad Ali El Himma, whom he describes as the "shadow king of Morocco" and the actual power holder, alongside the head of internal intelligence and police, Abdelatif Hammouchi, who he claims is responsible for "ensuring the continuity of the regime."
Discussing human rights and freedom of expression, the journalist remarked that there is "no press freedom" in Morocco, asserting that "Morocco is a dictatorial state disguised as a democracy," and he criticized the regime's attempts to market itself internationally as a model of democracy and respect for human rights.
Bautista further accused Rabat of using cooperation in counter-terrorism and immigration as a means of political leverage, explaining that Morocco "either cuts off or maintains cooperation" in these areas based on the nature of bilateral relations, especially when it seeks diplomatic advantages or increased financial support.
As reported by aps.dz.
