Visit to Morocco: Listening and Learning
Karen Hughes, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
Sidi Moumen Sports Center
Casablanca, Morocco
June 4, 2006
Under Secretary Hughes: Good afternoon, how's everybody? Very glad to be here in Morocco. I'm here really to listen and
to learn. Morocco has been at the forefront of a number of democratic reforms in the region. Whether it be from the
reforms that the King is implementing, to reforms in granting greater rights for women, so Morocco I think has a real
leadership role to play throughout the Arab and wider Islamic world. Morocco and my country also have a very special
partnership. And as I just reminded the young women here, Morocco was the very first country to recognize my country. So
I am happy to be here. And to celebrate our long friendship as we continue to learn from each other.
Question: What is the main purpose of your visit to Morocco today?
Under Secretary Hughes: Well the main purpose is really to learn. I had lunch today and talked with the mayor. I talked
with the president of one of the universities here who was very instrumental in working on the new family code
guaranteeing rights for women and justice for women and as I mentioned I think that can be a model because it is based
here in Morocco, based with the culture and the traditions and religious traditions here. So I think it is an important
model for the wider region. And I want to learn more about those reforms as well as the democratic reforms that the King
has been advancing, his human development initiative which again I think is a wonderful model of developing prosperity
trying to extend more jobs and greater opportunity to people of all incomes and all age groups and so I think it's a
wonderful example and I'm here to learn more about it.
Question: Do you think that you can build a new image of the United States after what's happened in Abu Ghraib, Haditha
, in Iraq?
Under Secretary Hughes: Well those kinds of incidents make it unfortunately very difficult and they don't represent my
country. What you see and first of all we're still investigating in Haditha and we don't have a final report yet. But if
there was wrong doing the President has said he was very troubled. And if there was wrong doing those who engaged in the
wrong doing will be punished. Those who engaged in this will be held accountable, will be punished, will be brought to
justice just as those in Abu Ghraib were. I frequently point out that while some of the pictures, horrible pictures,
which I was sickened by those pictures as an American, those don't represent my country. Those don't represent me. I'll
tell you who represents America, the young volunteers who are in here teaching these young women how to play basketball
and to develop greater self-confidence and skills and sharing a partnership with the people of Morocco. And so I was
sickened by those photos but those photos depict crimes that are violations of our laws and violations of our policies
and the individuals as in the case of Abu Ghraib were sentenced, in fact one of them is serving 10 years in federal
prison in America as a result of those crimes. And so I don't think fair-minded people, reasonable people, would want
pictures of crimes that are committed in their country to be viewed as somehow representative of their country. And
Americans don't want that either.
Question: Do you think that such events can improve the American government image and the public diplomacy here in
Morocco?
Under Secretary Hughes: Events such as this Casabasket? Absolutely. I think what public diplomacy is really about people
to people interaction and people to people exchanges. When someone comes from America to Morocco they learn how warm the
people are. They learn what a wonderful country this is. They learn how welcoming and thriving this country is, and how
beautiful it is, its great history and culture, and traditions. When young people from Morocco come to America they see
the same thing. They see a very different country than they see perhaps in the movies or the image they have an
understanding of the generosity and the friendliness and the love of family and faith that many Americans have. And so I
think it is very important that we have these kind of people to people exchanges so that we can all get to know each
other better. And I am the mother of a college student and I told him I want him to come overseas and spend a year
studying overseas and I want other young people in America to come to Morocco and study here. And we want young
Moroccans to come to the United States and study in the United States so we can learn more about each other. Because I
think the more we know each other, the better we will understand each other.
Question: What is the nature of the discussions that you are going to have?
Under Secretary Hughes: Well I am here to listen and to talk about anything they would like to talk about. But obviously
I am also here to learn. I want to understand more about the reforms that are happening here because again I think they
are a great example for the entire region. I want to learn more about the people getting involved in civic society,
forming organizations and beginning to volunteer and how women of Morocco worked on reform of the family code to ensure
greater justice for women. And so I am really here to talk about that and to learn from the people of Morocco. Thank you
all so much.
ENDS