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While the use of chemical weapons, namely mustard gas, by the Spanish army against civilians in the Rif region is not in dispute, its political, human and moral consequences have not been debated. Obviously, today’s Spain does not need this bad publicity. In addition, it is neither politically correct nor diplomatically prudent to address this touchy subject. However, such historical events must be openly debated and lessons must be learned as long as the debate is civil and in the “correct” context.

According to several historians, Spain humiliated in the battle of "ANWAL" at the hands of the local leader Abdelkarim Al-Khatabi and its warriors, responded in a vengeful manner dropping thousands of mustard bombs on unarmed civilians in the Rif region in the north of Morocco. The chemical weapon air campaign lasted four years approximately ending in 1926 or 1927. Certain historical dates and locations are not clear and final since Spain and Germany that supplied the banned chemical weapons avoided creating a paper trail that may be used one day to incriminating them in this horrendous crime.

While there is no count of the number of victims of this carnage, the indiscriminate use of such lethal bombs against dozens of villages must have created mass killings. The 1920’s badly equipped and poorly trained Spanish army did not digest its spectacular defeat against the resistance of the Rifan fighters in Annual; and had to resort to banned weapons of mass destruction to subdue the fearless Moroccan fighters. The use of mustard bombs was a turning point in Spain’s colonial campaign in Morocco. After “gassing” its way into the Rif Mountains, Spain solidified its grip on northern Morocco leading to an occupation that lasted until 1956 and beyond in other parts of Morocco.

The historical aspect of this event is very significant as various countries including France and Australia are coming to grips with their colonial sins. Spain should join the rest of the former western colonial powers in admitting its role in this massacre and opening up it archives in order to shed the light on this dark chapter of its colonial history in Morocco.

The horrific acts perpetrated by the Spanish army of the 1900’s are not in any way, shape or form a reflection on today’s Spain. However, the killings of unknown number of civilians using banned chemical weapons should not go unnoticed in history. The victims need to be recognized and the guilty parties should be judged by history.

Even tough the debate over the “Rif war” and Spain’s crimes during its imperial quest in Morocco has several angles so sharp that few politicians dare to tackle, contemporary Spanish politicians and human rights activists have a historical and a moral obligation to face up to the role of Spain as an entity in the massacres of unarmed civilians and the consequences of the use of chemical weaponry.

The 2005 attempt by a Catalan left wing political party to open a parliamentarian debate in the Cortez over the events surrounding the use of chemical weapons by the Spanish army in northern Morocco was unsuccessful. Under the “border line Fascist” government of Aznarito, such debate and admittance of any wrong doing was out of the question. Conversely, the current Zapatero government may be the perfect candidate to address the wrongs done by Spain to the Moroccans of the North.

Politics aside, the people of the Rif in particular and Moroccans that suffered under the Spanish colonial rule in general are due an official explanation and a State apology from the government of Spain. The Moroccan-Spanish diplomatic, economical and political relations are strong enough to withstand such traumatic historical review. It is a matter of human rights and common decency to give the victims of such tragic events an overdue apology and the recognition they deserve.

Some talk about war against Algeria but forget the biggest genocide that ever took place against our ancestors.
Spain used chemical weapons against our parents yet some claim it should be our friend.
F.u.c.k Spain, we also do remember the days of the inquisition too...
Spain killed Millions and Millions of our ancesters and deported Millions more..
As long as Moroccans live, they should never forget or forgive what took place in the Rif Mountains when Spain used chemical weapons on our parents, nor should they forget the inquisition.

Spain was a colonial and still a colonial of ceuta and mlilia , and moroccan need to be more patriotic when their land is concerned or when an other country try to steal a piece of their roots
Morocco is surrounded by a colonial in the north which taking two moroccan towns and in the south algerian greed has no limit and trying their best in training polizario to kill moroccan young soldiers

Spain is protected by the European union , i think morocco diplomacy machine need to be active to try to get the support of all european countries , USA, and aother countries and put this file on the table and ask compensation and appology and in the same time try to free the rest of moroccan towns using UN and all options allowed by international law

an other unfinished business which moroccans need not to forget is the deportation of thousands
of moroccan by algerian genrals when the war broke , ther are a lot of moroccans who were settling married in algeria with successful businesses been deported without any clothes back to morocco , total humiliation

recently lybia through it s compaigning , and their active diplomacy they managed to win a case a gainst Italy , Italy had to pay to lybian hundreds of millions as compensation of the use of illegal weapons on civilians unfortunately for morocco too many shit on his plate , the sahara file need to be solved after that sebta et mlilia and asking compensation from Spain in a away Spain are benefitting from this situation they are secretely helping to keep the sahara problem going on so that morocco will never think of solvingt the problem in the North

Machallah!

I am very proud of evryone of you. I have just been writing about the Rif War and your sense of history is right on the button.
Yes, we did suffer quite a lot under the Fascist Spain and the way they treated us afterwards.
My granfather was shot and killed by the Spaniards and my gradmother had no compensation nor an apology from the 'Iro'meen'. I still think how could the Spanish have been so cruel (as they called it 'to subdue Morocco') and inhumane as to use mostard gas. I am sure that you are aware of the Spanish burning Abdelkrim's house all those of his family.I also noticed that at that time in history, we had no help from the rest of Morocco, otherwise the Spanish helped by the French would never have lasted till 1956.

You are all right about us getting an apology but as for compensation, I want nothing from these Fascist Crimnals. It would be an insult to my proud grandfather (May Allah Bless Him). It is suffice that he died with his dignity defending our homeland from the foreigners. Today Sadly, I noticed that still in Morocco, people would give more respect to a foreigner than our own.
I can not understand why????
A

alot of rifians are immigrants now in Spain, i know at least 4 familles from Rif living in Barcelona
time moved on , but still this subject shouldn t be just left to the governement because i think priority now is to free the sahara then pass to the north then open any old files which involves war crimes, i think people like you who are aware of this part of history , families of victims and the rifians specially those with dual nationalities in Spain need top compaign for some sort of appology , gather evidence and try to make this subject alive
exemple of this is the jewish lobby , any jewish community is active to remind european of the holaucaust and they been milking all countries financially

the fact that spain used illegal weapons in the north of Morocco need to be arised by associations , the civil society and try to get the media attention this is how most causes are addressed
but i do think the rifian with spanish nationality could contribute a lot to this cause taking advantage of their double nationality

la sensibilisation c est le secret

Azul
Imazeghen are too proud to let their culture die..
The Amazigh culture lived for 10,000 years will live til the end of time...
Imazighen were born FREE and are supposed to die FREE
They never forget nor forgive the blood of their ancestors.
As long as Imazighen live, Spain will pay one day..

hello
i dont know about what happend
and i m not sure about what you re telling us

i don t like hating others culture , war and vengeance die hard (bruce willis ) films
i also don t like the circulation of some crazy ideas such as the republic of rif , the rifian freed morocco from colonisation ...........................


if you feel you have been victim of war crime there are international courts bring evidence and start a case thats what most of the world does , the bosnian did that , the armans............

ach khesek al a3ryane al 7arb a moulay

hahahahahh
that is really a funny expression
i dont like wars and hating other races either

First you need to know where you come from before you decide where you're going.
your destination is not your home.
your home is where you came from.
the rest is only a business transaction.
but spain will pay for what she did to our parents.
we never forget nor forgive the blood of our parents.

if you dont mind me asking how Spain will pay ????just curious !!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote
marocain-09
if you dont mind me asking how Spain will pay ????just curious !!!!!!!!!!!!

The great mighty USA before 911 thought it was invincible.
What's so special about little spain?

do you mean by a coward terrorist attack , killing civilians !nothing to be proud of or take as an exemple , two wrongs doesn t make it right
i am just appalled by your extremism and how a coward terrorist hiding in a cave inspired you

what a shame

bonjourno mr marocain -09, never mind his upstaires is not functioning properly , with spring has sprang he cought heyfever
just let it go , yeah whatever , just say : there is a war and he is the master and commander
our friend freethinker has his brain tatooed

amicalement



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2009 10:30 by whatsup.

thanks whats up for the note ok , i won t continue asking him i will leave it at that .
everyone has the right to express his or her opinion no need for extremism and violance

may god give peace to all humanity


salam

Quote
marocain-09
do you mean by a coward terrorist attack , killing civilians !nothing to be proud of or take as an exemple , two wrongs doesn t make it right
i am just appalled by your extremism and how a coward terrorist hiding in a cave inspired you

what a shame

For some it's Terrorism for others it's Freedom Fighters..
what's your definition of a Terrorism?
George Bush was a Terrorist, wasn't he?

Quote
marocain-09
thanks whats up for the note ok , i won t continue asking him i will leave it at that .
everyone has the right to express his or her opinion no need for extremism and violance

may god give peace to all humanity


salam

how the fuc.k do you expect peace when there is no equality?
what's taken by guns can only be liberated by guns.
we can kiss and laugh all day, but there is a war out there and if we don't fight back we are toast.
you have one choice, it's either kill or be killed



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2009 10:59 by FreeThinker.

i m with you mate(whats up)
we should be more peacful and try to adapt with other cultures and religions

Hello Bros and Sistrs!

I appreciate all your points of view but it would be nice if less foul language is used. We are, I hope using the Queen's English and not the Bush American English.

Tone it a bit down, thanks!

A.

ok ok
relax max