Moroccan King Approves Military-Linked Bills

King Mohammed VI heading his cabinet in the royal palace in Rabat, and the Crown Prince sitting by his side (MAP)
King Mohammed VI heading his cabinet in the royal palace in Rabat, and the Crown Prince sitting by his side (MAP)
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Moroccan King Approves Military-Linked Bills

King Mohammed VI heading his cabinet in the royal palace in Rabat, and the Crown Prince sitting by his side (MAP)
King Mohammed VI heading his cabinet in the royal palace in Rabat, and the Crown Prince sitting by his side (MAP)

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, also Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), has approved three bills and one draft decree on military affairs

While chairing the cabinet session on Monday evening at the Royal Palace in Rabat, the King approved the first bill on cybersecurity, which aims at establishing a legal framework to reinforce the security of information systems in state administrations, municipalities, public institutions and enterprises, as well as public telecommunications infrastructures of vital importance.

The second bill was on defense and security equipment and supplies, including weapons and ammunition. It aims at legalizing the activities of manufacturing, trade, import and export, transport and transit of these supplies and equipment by establishing an authorization system that documents, tracks, and controls these operations.

According to observers, the bill gives the green light to manufacture weapons and defense equipment, and grants licenses to allow their export, which is considered a qualitative shift in Morocco’s defense and security policy.

The third bill amends the law on Morocco’s military reserve force.

It targets integrating reserve officers in public facilities and companies who have received initial military training within one of FAR’s facilities.

Meanwhile, the draft decree approved by the King is on reorganizing the Royal Air School in Marrakech.

It aims to enable national air carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) to benefit from FAR’s expertise in terms of aeronautical training.

It demands establishing a contractual framework between the Administration of National Defense and RAM, in order to enable the Royal Air School to train airline pilots.

The cabinet also approved 11 bilateral and multilateral international agreements, nine of which are backed by legal frameworks.

The bilateral deals include one on establishing a partnership between the United Kingdom and Morocco, following Brexit, another one on partnership for cultural cooperation and development between Morocco and France, as well as bolstering cooperation with some friendly countries in the commercial, economic, judicial, technical, scientific, cultural, military and technical fields.

The multilateral agreements tackled the founding treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency and the automatic exchange of information on financial accounts.



Lebanon's Parliament Renews Army Chief's Term in First Session after Ceasefire

Lebanese policeman stand outside the parliament building in downtown Beirut, Lebanon October 17, 2017. (Reuters)
Lebanese policeman stand outside the parliament building in downtown Beirut, Lebanon October 17, 2017. (Reuters)
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Lebanon's Parliament Renews Army Chief's Term in First Session after Ceasefire

Lebanese policeman stand outside the parliament building in downtown Beirut, Lebanon October 17, 2017. (Reuters)
Lebanese policeman stand outside the parliament building in downtown Beirut, Lebanon October 17, 2017. (Reuters)

Lebanon's parliament Thursday renewed the term of army chief Joseph Aoun, who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in next year's vote.

The parliament has seldom met since Israel’s war with Hezbollah began 14 months ago, and has not convened to try to elect a president since June 2023, leaving the country in a political gridlock.

Thursday’s session is the first since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday which has left the Lebanese military responsible for ensuring Hezbollah fighters leave the country's south and its facilities dismantled. The army is expected to receive international aid to help deploy troops to deploy in the south to exert full state control there, The AP reported.

Gen. Joseph Aoun is seen as a likely presidential candidate due to his close relationship with the international community and his hold on an institution that is seen as a rare point of unity in the country facing political and sectarian tensions. Lebanon has been without a president since Oct. 31, 2022.

It is unclear whether the decision to renew Aoun's term will impact his chances as Lebanon's next president.

Hezbollah and some of its key allies and their legislators have been skeptical of a Aoun presidency due to his close relationship with Washington.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who spearheaded negotiations with the United States to end the war, also called for parliament to convene on Jan. 9, 2025 to elect a president, the first attempt in almost 19 months.

French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, tasked by French President Emmanuel Macron with helping Lebanon break its political deadlock, observed the session before meeting with Berri and later caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Berri, in an address Wednesday, urged political parties to pick a president that will bring Lebanon's rival groups together, in a bid to keep the war-torn and financially battered country from further deteriorating amid fears of internal political tensions between Hezbollah and its political opponents following the war.

The militant group's opponents, who believe Hezbollah should be completely disarmed, are furious that it made the unilateral decision to go to war with Israel in solidarity with its ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip.