Spanish Military Experts Dismiss Threat of Moroccan Attack on Ceuta and Melilla

Speaking on the occasion of the presentation of the report of the think tank Europa Ciudadana on "The role of Ceuta and Melilla in the global agenda", which took place on Wednesday in Madrid, the two former military officers said that an armed Moroccan attack on the two autonomous cities is unlikely, even if the latter were to be led by a "pro-Moroccan" party, adding that NATO would defend the two presidios in the event of aggression.

"Russia can afford to go against almost the entire institutional community, but that is not the case with Morocco, which cannot enter a city with blood and fire, killing people," said Admiral Rodríguez Garat, denouncing Morocco’s hybrid strategy that uses "immigration in order to cause problems" and "force the Spanish government to give in" under pressure. Lieutenant General Gan Pampols, for his part, fears low-intensity conflicts between Morocco and Spain.

Also present at this ceremony, the former Spanish ambassador to the United States, Javier Rupérez, insisted on the "powerful" and "brutal" deterrent capacity of NATO. "No one has dared to attack a NATO member, with one exception, September 11. If there is a serious problem, Spain must show that it can defend itself and it will then have the support of NATO," he developed.