Saturday, December 02, 2006

Defense: Morocco abolishes conscription

Morocco is to abolish compulsory military service in a move aimed at blocking infiltration of the military by Islamists hatching an anti-monarchist plot.

Analysts believe the security concerns had deepened since the discovery in August of a group, Ansar Al Mehdi (Mehdi Partisans), accused by government of planning to launch a holy war to establish a caliphate Islamic state.

The group infiltrated the army and police to recruit at least nine of their members.

Related i On Global Trends article - Security: Morocco concerned by infiltration of the army by Islamic radicals