INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Ambassador,S January 3 Meeting with Foreign

Published: Tue 8 Jan 2008 06:10 PM
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHRB #0019 0081810
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081810Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7984
UNCLAS RABAT 000019
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASCH AMGT MO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR,S JANUARY 3 MEETING WITH FOREIGN
MINISTER ON THE STATUS OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOLS
1. (U) In a wide-ranging meeting on January 3, the
Ambassador discussed the status of the American schools in
Morocco with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Taieb Fassi Fihri and Director of American Affairs Abdallah
Salah Eddine Tazi. The Ambassador noted that the status and
tax situation of the schools remained a great concern.
Expressing surprise, Fassi Fihri said that he thought the
problem had been resolved after their exchange of telephone
calls in December. The Ambassador responded that nothing has
been resolved by the tax authorities, seizure of more than
half of the Casablanca American School,s (CAS,s) liquid
assets. The Rabat American School (RAS), which does not
possess anything like CAS,s reserves, does not yet know how
much it may need to pay. The Ambassador warned that we must
move beyond our unwritten agreement and beyond a situation in
which the schools are being held hostage because more
teachers will choose not to renew their contracts; parents
will grow concerned; tuition will rise; and the schools will
cease to be viable.
2. (SBU) Somewhat defensive, Fassi Fihri said the USG had
refused an agreement for a long time. However, he agreed to
speak with the Ministers of National Education and Finance to
move ahead with a Moroccan coordinated reaction to our August
proposal. He further committed to manage the issue in a way
that would preserve the schools while securing tax revenue
from them.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Riley
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media