Iran & Algeria Back Proxies to Launch Urban Warfare on Morocco

Iran and Algeria’s proxies, Hezbollah and the Polisario respectively, have entered into an alliance to undermine Morocco’s security and stability. The involvement of Hezbollah in arming and training the Algerian-backed Polisario separatists on urban warfare is indicative of the failure of the guerrilla war tactics previously used by the Polisario.

After Morocco retrieved the Sahara from colonial Spain, Algeria along with few communist nations hosted and armed the Polisario to launch hit and run attacks on the Moroccan armed forces.

The achievement of the security wall by Morocco has curbed the effect of the guerrilla tactics and left the Moroccan army with space to pursue Polisario fighters without conducting hot pursuit into the Algerian territory.

The UN-brokered ceasefire of 1991 was indicative of Polisario’s failure to continue guerrilla warfare at a time its ally was battling extremists in what came to be called black decade.

Now, as Polisario and its mentor refuse to engage in negotiations with Morocco on the autonomy initiative and stick to the referendum option that proved its unfeasibility, prospects are gloomy for separatists selling the chimera of an independent state in Morocco’s southern provinces to be used by Algeria as an outlet to the Atlantic.

The failure of the guerrilla tactics is probably pushing Polisario to prepare for urban warfare in theory of course because they are based in Tindouf camps in Algeria. Hence its alliance with Hezbollah, with Iran and Algeria’s consent.

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told reporters in Marrakech Wednesday that Morocco has irrefutable proof of Hezbollah’s plan to train Polisario separatists on urban warfare to destabilize Morocco.

He said ties between Hezbollah and the Polisario have been growing since the arrest by Morocco of Kacem Taj Eddine in Casablanca in March 12, 2017, following an international arrest warrant against him for money laundering.

Polisario militias whose hit and run tactics were disabled as a result of Morocco’s fortified security wall are probably seeking a new form of warfare against Morocco, hence their alliance with Hezbollah in connivance with Iran and Algeria.

“Hezbollah experts have trained Polisario members on guerrilla war in the camps of Tindouf,” said Bourita, but the straw that broke the camel’s back is the “supply 15 days ago of SAM missiles to Polisario separatists.”

Bourita accused Iran’s ambassador in Algiers of facilitating contacts between Hezbollah leaders and the Polisario and offering logistical support for such an alliance between the two groups.

He added that during his visit to Tehran “tangible proof was laid on the table”. “We informed Tehran in line with diplomatic norms.”