Spanish commander warns of Moroccan threat, urges military boost
A Spanish military commander calls for the army to be better prepared for conflict with Morocco, amid the kingdoms increased defence spending.
According to Yabiladi, reported on August 26th, Spanish military commander Jose Arias Otero pleaded with leadership to prepare coherent counter measures for the apparent “Moroccan threats.” Otero is an analyst in the planning department of the Spanish Army’s General Staff, which oversees medium-long term strategic planning.
“Morocco’s continuous defence spending should motivate the enhancement and strengthening of Spain’s armed forces,” Otero noted in a report.
In the same report he apparently warned that Morocco uses hybrid strategies, “without reaching the threshold of armed conflict,” to pressure Spain in their favour geopolitically. Otero used the migration crisis of 2021, disinformation campaigns, espionage, and the closure of Melilla’s borders in 2018 as examples.
The Spanish commander also seemingly had issues with the government’s outright support for Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy plan, emphasising that without securing concrete concessions in return, Spain adopted a policy of “appeasing the aggressor.”
The source claims Otero then pointed to the modernisation of Morocco’s military, specifically the possible acquisition of F-35 jets, claiming these advancements “could create a dilemma if they surpass Spain’s military capabilities.”
Otero purportedly fears Morocco could etch away at Spain’s geopolitical sovereignty.
Nato’s Article 5 does not cover the territories of Ceuta and Melilla, which means in the event of Moroccan aggression, collective military support from the alliance would not be assured.
Despite Otero’s worries, Spain and Morocco appear to have a stable relationship. As Maghrebi reported, Morocco’s security chief and Spain’s Civil Guard intelligence head, met in Rabat to discuss closer cooperation against terrorism and organised crime.
The economic partnership is also at a high point between the two countries, with Morocco standing as Spain’s third largest non-EU trade partner after trade volume exceeded 22.7 billion euros in March.
Yabiladi, Maghrebi.org
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