Spanish Military Sites Breached: Moroccan Makhzen and France’s DGSE Implicated in Espionage Scandal
BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers, Algeria | December 18th, 2024 — On December 17, El Periodico unveiled shocking details about a secret pact between Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Morocco’s Makhzen regime, raising serious questions about Spain’s national security and sovereignty. Security experts have warned that this agreement jeopardizes the country’s territorial integrity.
The report highlights the activities of four operatives from Morocco’s Directorate General for Studies and Documentation (DGED), led by Yassine Mansouri, a figure previously implicated in the “Marocgate” scandal involving bribery of EU parliamentarians. These agents successfully infiltrated sensitive military sites in Spain’s Canary Islands and Melilla before vanishing, an escape allegedly orchestrated with assistance from French intelligence services.
According to El Periodico, the agents cloned classified military data, including strategic protocols tied to operations in the Canary Islands and Melilla. The report further notes that the Spanish government, under Sánchez’s leadership, quietly negotiated with Moroccan officials to avoid a diplomatic fallout, allowing the operatives to flee unscathed.
This revelation amplifies concerns about Morocco’s expansionist ambitions. By targeting Spanish military installations, the Makhzen regime appears to be pursuing its long-standing claims over Ceuta, Melilla, and the Canary Islands—territories it regards as “historically legitimate.” This covert operation underscores Morocco’s aggressive military and intelligence buildup in recent years, facilitated by acquisitions such as Israeli drones and American F-16 fighter jets.
France’s Role in the Espionage Operation
The scandal takes on an even more alarming dimension with accusations of French involvement. Citing European intelligence sources, El Periodico reveals that France’s intelligence services provided logistical support and information to Moroccan operatives. France’s strengthening ties with Rabat, seemingly driven by its strategic interests in the Maghreb and Sahel regions, have raised concerns about Paris prioritizing bilateral gains over European solidarity and regional stability.
This is not the first instance of such accusations. Reports from 2022 suggested the leak of sensitive Spanish defense data, possibly sourced from NATO, which may have facilitated Morocco’s intelligence operations. These actions appear aimed at undermining Spain’s defense capabilities while advancing Morocco’s geopolitical objectives.
Espionage as Part of a Broader Expansionist Strategy
Morocco’s actions are viewed as part of a calculated strategy involving espionage, military expansion, and diplomatic maneuvers. The occupied Western Sahara serves as a base for the Makhzen regime’s aggressive approach, which now seems to extend to Spain’s sovereign territories. Ceuta and Melilla, critical for defense, migration control, and economic oversight, have long been the focus of Morocco’s territorial aspirations.
The Canary Islands, with their strategic position in the Atlantic, have also emerged as targets in this high-stakes geopolitical game. The recent breach raises fears that Morocco is preparing for a hybrid conflict, combining economic destabilization, migration pressures, and propaganda campaigns to weaken Spain’s resolve and pave the way for future territorial claims.
Criticism of Spain’s Government
Pedro Sánchez’s government is facing mounting criticism for its failure to safeguard Spain’s sovereignty and adequately address threats posed by Morocco. Critics argue that Sánchez’s policies have left Spain vulnerable to an increasingly hostile neighbor that, rather than acting as an ally, has adopted a confrontational stance.
Alvise Pérez, a prominent figure in Spain’s political opposition, captured the growing frustration during a rally in Tenerife: “A friend does not spy on you, extort you with migration, rearm without explanation, or claim your territory as their own. If Morocco behaves like an enemy, we must treat it as such.”
France Spying Even on Its Allies
Expelled from the Sahel region, France appears to be orchestrating a calculated move against its European and NATO ally, Pedro Sánchez, by attempting to undermine Spain’s position in the Maghreb, particularly in Morocco. Reports suggest France has provided intelligence to Morocco’s security services regarding NATO bases on Spanish territory, including those in the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
The recent escape of four Moroccan spies aided by French intelligence highlights a growing partnership between the two nations’ intelligence apparatuses. This collaboration has been bolstered since Nicolas Lerner took over as head of France’s DGSE, succeeding Bernard Emié, whose tenure was marred by failures in the Sahel. Lerner, the former director of the DGSI, visited Morocco in December 2023, just two days after a trip by Frédéric Veaux, the director general of the French national police.
According to pro-Makhzen media outlets, Lerner and Veaux reached an agreement with Moroccan intelligence officials to strengthen coordination and jointly execute intelligence operations. The deal is explicit: France supports Morocco’s expansionist policies, not only in Western Sahara but also targeting the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. In return, Morocco pledges to facilitate France’s re-entry into the Sahel. This mutual arrangement gains further weight considering the Moroccan monarch’s recent offer to grant the military regimes in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso access to the Atlantic, coinciding with the French officials’ visits. This strategic maneuver aligns with efforts by Makhzen-backed entities to expand their influence in the Sahel as subcontractors for French operations linked to the DGSE.
President Emmanuel Macron’s vocal support for Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara during his visit to Rabat in October last year has already yielded significant advantages for French corporations. They have secured lucrative contracts at the expense of Spanish firms, leaving Pedro Sánchez politically isolated and diplomatically outmaneuvered. Sánchez now faces an uphill battle to regain credibility, particularly as he heads to Rabat on December 21 to preside over the Council of the Socialist International. This visit comes amid mounting criticism from Spanish citizens and a deepening scandal that compromises Spain’s national security.
The Spanish Ministry of Defense has openly distanced itself from Sánchez and his interior minister over this espionage debacle, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. The scandal is particularly sensitive given Spain’s earlier victimization by the Pegasus spyware, deployed by the Moroccan regime with backing from its Zionist allies.
Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) has further inflamed tensions by blocking the establishment of the Sahrawi intergroup in the European Parliament’s new legislative term. This intergroup, a platform for dialogue and representation of Sahrawi voices, has existed for over two decades. Omar Mansour, the Polisario Front’s representative in Brussels, lamented this development, attributing the failure to the PSOE’s refusal to support its formation, despite backing from other parliamentary groups.
From Felipe González to Pedro Sánchez: A Legacy of Betrayal
The PSOE’s alignment with Moroccan interests, at the expense of neutrality in the Western Sahara conflict, reflects a long-standing trend within the party. From Felipe González to Pedro Sánchez, through figures like José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the PSOE has consistently undermined Spain’s historic obligations as the former administering power of Western Sahara, a decolonization issue under the purview of the United Nations’ Fourth Committee.
Felipe González, who once enjoyed Algeria’s support during Franco’s dictatorship, abandoned his commitments upon taking office in 1982. His administration distanced itself from the Polisario Front, provoking Algeria’s ire, and sought closer ties with Morocco under King Hassan II. This marked the beginning of a progressive shift among Spanish socialists toward Atlanticist policies, cementing a pattern of diplomatic subservience to Rabat.
This legacy now casts a long shadow over Sánchez, whose controversial decisions and perceived betrayal of Sahrawi aspirations have left him politically vulnerable. With the espionage scandal further undermining his standing, Sánchez’s ability to restore Spain’s integrity in the face of growing French-Moroccan collusion remains uncertain.
Spanish Ministry of Defense Stands Firm on Sahrawi Self-Determination
In a bold reaffirmation of its commitment to international law, the Spanish Ministry of Defense has publicly reiterated its unwavering support for the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. This position starkly contrasts with the stance of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose pivot toward favoring Moroccan claims in Western Sahara has drawn widespread criticism. Aligning itself with the principles enshrined in United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Ministry of Defense has distanced itself from Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, both of whom have faced accusations of enabling Morocco’s expansionist agenda.
Grande-Marlaska has come under particular scrutiny for his role in recent expulsions of Sahrawi activists from Madrid to Moroccan-occupied territories. His actions, viewed as aligning with Rabat’s oppressive tactics, coincide with dubious narratives surrounding figures like Hichem Abboud, widely regarded as a pawn of Morocco’s intelligence apparatus.
Makhzen’s Financial Influence in Ceuta and Melilla
The Spanish Ministry of Defense has also raised alarms over Morocco’s subversive activities in Spain’s enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. It has expressed grave concerns about Moroccan-financed NGOs and charitable organizations, receiving up to €70 million annually. These entities, accused of pursuing an agenda to destabilize Spain’s sovereignty over the enclaves, are viewed as tools of the Makhzen regime to advance its territorial claims under the guise of humanitarian work.
This acknowledgment by the Ministry highlights a growing rift within the Spanish government, as it unequivocally opposes the pro-Moroccan policies championed by Sánchez. The Ministry remains vigilant, closely monitoring these covert operations and their implications for Spain’s territorial integrity.
French Espionage Scandal Vindicates Algeria
Recent revelations involving espionage in Spain have reignited accusations against France’s external intelligence agency, the DGSE. The exposure of Moroccan operatives, aided by French intelligence to infiltrate NATO military installations in Spain, corroborates Algeria’s long-standing assertions of French interference in regional stability.
The DGSE’s involvement in assisting four Moroccan operatives escape to Morocco underscores a disturbing pattern of clandestine operations aimed at destabilizing Algeria. Algerian authorities have frequently pointed to the DGSE’s complicity in high-profile incidents, such as the exfiltration of activist Amira Bouraoui and the orchestration of smear campaigns against Algeria’s history and institutions. These campaigns have involved controversial figures like Kamel Daoud and Boualem Sansal, who are accused of advancing narratives hostile to Algerian sovereignty.
Heightened Regional Tensions
The unfolding dynamics reflect an intricate web of geopolitical maneuvers. While Spain’s Defense Ministry upholds international law and defends its territorial integrity, Sánchez’s alignment with Moroccan policies has strained intra-governmental coherence. Moreover, France’s actions, undermining both Algerian and Spanish sovereignty, have amplified tensions across the Maghreb and Sahel regions.
Translated from:
Des sites militaires espagnols ciblés: Le Makhzen et la DGSE espionnent l’Espagne
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