Headline Archives |
||||
PARTNERS AGAINST CRIME Our Working Relationship in Morocco |
||||
10/17/07 | ||||
When the destructive “Zotob” cyber worm was unleashed on the world two summers ago, one of the places that our cyber experts quickly traced it to was the Arabic nation of Morocco on the Northwest coast of Africa. That might have been the end of that investigative trail if not for our longstanding partnership with our colleagues there, made stronger by the establishment of an FBI Legal Attaché office or Legat in its capital city of Rabat in 2004. We have 60 of these Legats in cities around the world, where our special agents work as diplomats rather than investigators, building relationships and trust with a variety of international law enforcement and intelligence partners to better protect our respective nations in this increasingly globalized world. In this case, working through our special agent stationed in Rabat, we were granted permission to send our Cyber Action Team to Morocco. Once there, the team worked with Moroccan law enforcement to arrest several subjects.
“Few countries are going to let an FBI cyber team visit unless the groundwork—and trust—has been laid long before,” says Special Agent Daniel K. Brady, the acting Legat in Rabat. “It’s much easier to build that trust in person—long distance relationships are always tough. Being on the ground here every day makes a world of difference.” Two more examples where our partnership has benefited both nations:
“Whether it’s the La Sûreté Nationale or the La Gendarmerie Royale, our relationship with Moroccan authorities is excellent,” says Brady. “Director Mueller has visited twice in the past few years, to give you an idea of how much we value this relationship. Morocco is a vital U.S. ally, and it makes sense for the FBI to be here, working together with our counterparts to fight crime and terrorism.” For more information: |