Moroccans hackers attacked a host of official Qatari websites Rabat – Rachid Bougha Moroccan Hackers, who call themselves “Moroccan Deterrence Forces”, unknown to Moroccan authorities, carried out what they called “Moroccan Vengeance” by destroying a significant number of official websites linked to the highest Qatari authorities, they said. They were able, last night, to destroy the official website of the Pan-Arab Games, which Doha is currently hosting (December 9 – December 23, 2011), after the league and cup channel presented pictures of the Moroccan delegation saluting the audience in the opening of the Pan Arab Games, followed by the broadcasting of  a Moroccan map without the Moroccan Sahara, which angered Moroccan audiences.
The “Moroccan Deterrence Forces” dedicated their actions to Morocco as well as Palestine whose map was equally shown lacking major parts of its historic territory.
The actions of the hackers came as a response to the map shown live during the opening ceremony of the games and which showed the Qataris had clearly taken a particular stance in the ongoing dispute regarding Western Sahara.
Moroccan media announced that Morrocan internet pirates destroyed several websites in Qatar including the Pan Arab Games site which remains down.
The “Moroccan Deterrence Forces” were also able to reach the Facebook page for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which is now filled with Moroccan maps and flags. Meanwhile, it is expected that such internet attacks will continue after the hackers stated through their Facebook page that they intented to pursue their actions. Amongs their many reported actions, the hackers also targeted the sites of prominent Qatari figures such as Sheikha Moza, wife of the Emir of Qatar.
Moroccan citizens watching the coverage of the ceremony said they were greatly insulted by the opening of the Pan Arab Games when Qataris intentionally put up a revised map of the kingdom.
An official from the organizing committee of the Pan Arab Games in Doha said in a statement to El Botola.com website that dividing the Moroccan map into two parts and excluding the desert was only a technical error made by the producers.
The same official said in an interview in International Khalifa Court that Moroccans are not targeted, but are welcomed in Qatar to present themselves properly and confirm their participation by achieving positive results in the Games.
Qatari officials said that it was a matter of unintentional “technical error”, which is not linked to Qatari policiy.  However, Moroccan observers said of the incident that it had put a dampner on Qatari-Moroccan relations at a time when both countries were working towards tightening their relations.