Monarchs From Morocco

"Don't think about it, this young man is ingenuous."

"As we celebrate these two glorious anniversaries, we are delighted to announce to you, dear people, the good news of the discovery of oil and gas, of good quality and in abundant quantities, in the region of in the Oriental provinces which are so dear to us."

"In a democracy, elections are a normal process. Morocco is a democracy. The next election will be transparent. It will reflect the will of Moroccan citizens. People know where Morocco is going and where I want to go."

"In Morocco, I am perfectly known. Moroccans know my character and my ideas, they know absolutely everything about me. This idea of mystery is maintained by a certain press: to sell something, you have to put a label on it. So they put a label on me, that of mystery, simply because I decided that, before speaking, I would wait to know more."

"But what is freedom? For me, it is respect for others and respect for the law. Freedom is not anarchy."

"Criticism is constructive not tattling. Freedom of the press, is not anybody writing anything about anybody. One must write while respecting the facts, even when they are less exciting than the fantasy of those who chose to criticize just to criticize."

"I am impulsive. But, thanks to my father, I have learned never to make decisions on the fly."

"I settled the Western Sahara conflict that had been plaguing us for twenty-five years."

"President Jacques Chirac and Madame Chirac have with my family excellent relations of very deep affection and true proximity"

"I would add that the French know and love Morocco. Between our two countries, there is a cultural, social and human capillarity that transcends the difficulties of the situation. But there is also, in France, a security reflex because Morocco and other countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean are lumped together."

"In the course of this journey, all the previous governments have made commendable efforts, under our leadership, to give substance to our vision of development and reform. So much so that our current government has found in its hands, in the economic and social field, a healthy and positive legacy of constructive actions and tangible achievements."

"Dear citizens, we have gained more backing for our foremost cause from the international community thanks to a better understanding of the circumstances and considerations underpinning the issue of our territorial integrity. As a result, there is growing support for our judicious autonomy initiative."

"Indeed, it is not reasonable that every five years, each new government comes up with a new plan, disregarding previous plans, when it will not be able to implement its own plan in full, given the short duration of its mandate."

"The situation is difficult. Nothing has been decided yet. The maneuvers of the adversaries of our territorial integrity are not going to stop, which could place our cause before decisive developments. Therefore, I urge all of you once again to be strongly mobilized, to be constantly vigilant, and to take effective initiatives, both internally and externally, to thwart the enemies of the nation wherever they may be, and to foil the illegitimate schemes to which they resort."

"Is it reasonable to think that Morocco respects human rights in the north of the country and transgresses them in the south?"

"Some states are content to leave it to officials to monitor the situation in Morocco. However, some of them are either ill-disposed towards our country or influenced by the theses of our adversaries. Unfortunately, they are the ones who sometimes prepare erroneous files and reports, on the basis of which the officials decide on certain positions."

"We strongly condemn the murder of innocents."

"Terrorists who kill in the name of Islam … are condemned to eternal hell, they are exploiting some young Muslims, particularly in Europe, exploiting their ignorance of Arabic and true Islam to relay their messages and false promises."

"In the end, Belkheir claimed, Hassan (with whom he met many times as a secret emissary) understood what had to be done to protect Moroccan interests vis-a-vis the Western Sahara. Accordingly, he had accepted a referendum and, subsequently, the autonomy approach Baker developed. Mohammed VI, by contrast, did not have his father's experience, was timid, and was surrounded by unhelpful advisers. As a result, Morocco has rejected previously accepted positions and lost an opportunity—via referendum voting procedures that would have allowed all Moroccan residents to participate—to assure the outcome it needed."

"My subjects are like rats in a basket."