Soldiers suspected to have been involved in the 1972 coup were put on trial with many receiving lengthy prison sentences and being sent to secret detention camps. Few of these soldiers survived. Furthermore, the regime isolated the military from the political sphere by removing the ranks of defense minister, major general, and deputy major general.[35] Officers who were deemed to be dangerous to the king were sent to lead units in the Yom Kippur War and they became glorified as martyrs after failing in battle. This also improved Hassan’s image among more anti-Zionist Arab rulers as an ideologically reliable leader.[45] The security forces moved to the direct rule of the king and the “Ministry of Defense” was replaced by the “Administration of Defense” which was run by a general secretary. When the Western Sahara War broke out, the Moroccan military was confined to the Western Sahara (where 50-70% of Moroccan troops remain) away from “useful Morocco” which proved to be beneficial to Hassan II’s goals of restructuring the army.[56]
The Story of General Mohamed Oufkir…See more
