On Thursday, the Moroccan and American armies concluded a military exercise in the field of disaster planning, according to the Washington embassy in Rabat.
“This four-week program on dealing with explosive hazards highlights the continued strength of the US-Moroccan military partnership,” the embassy said in a statement.
And it stated that “elements of the National Guard of the US state of Utah conducted this exercise in the small city of Al-Qasr (North), with the participation of the Royal Armed Forces.”
The exercise included a scenario of a large-scale industrial accident that requires search and rescue by land and sea, extinguishing fires in industrial facilities in an environment containing hazardous materials, as well as crisis management at the national level.
“These joint training programs are an essential component of the close and solid partnership between Morocco and the United States,” the statement quoted General Michael Turley, commander-in-chief of the Utah National Guard, as saying.
“We work constantly and closely with our Moroccan partners to confront a range of potential threats, including natural disasters or industrial accidents, in addition to the usual security concerns,” he added.
On October 2, Morocco and the United States signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation for a period of 10 years.
The armies of the two countries have also organized, since 2007, the largest “African Lion” maneuvers in Africa, which are taking place with the participation of a number of European and African armies.
