In an interview on Moroccan state television on Aug. 5, Fadel said AQIM
and Polisario were essentially partners in the massive weapons smuggling in
the Western Sahara and neighboring regions. He suggested that Polisario was
involved in AQIM's campaign to abduct Westerners in the Sahara.
"How could Al Qaida travel to Mauritania to kidnap Europeans without the
knowledge of the other [Polisario]?" Adel asked.
Morocco has sought to link Polisario to AQIM. In 2009, Algerian
officials acknowledged that elements within Polisario were helping AQIM in
smuggling from Mauritania to Algeria.
"We know full well that Polsiario trades in arms in the greater Sahara
region," Adel asked. "But the question is whom does this arms trade benefit?"
Polisario has demanded independence of Western Sahara, an area of
266,000 square kilometers, 80 percent of which is under Moroccan control.
Rabat, in a proposal endorsed by France and the United States, has offered
autonomy to the disputed region.
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