Background
He was born in 1917 at Moulay Idriss.
He was born in 1917 at Moulay Idriss.
Educated at the local primary school and then sent to secondary school at Meknes. Entered the military college at Dar el Beida and commissioned as second lieutenant in 1938.
Fought with the French army in 1939-45 war and stayed on as a captain in Germany until 1950. After two years in Indochina he returned to Morocco early in 1956 to help organise the Royal Armed Forces on independence, in October 1956 he was appointed Governor of the Meknes Province to restore stability after rioting. Eighteen months later he rejoined the General Staff and commanded the military
college at Ahcrnoumou. Promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1959, he was sent to the Congo with the UN Forces in March 1960.
In November 1960 he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Gendarmerie. King Hassan made him Governor of Casablanca in June 1961 was promoted him to brigadier in September 1963. A month later he commanded the Moroccan forces in the border conflict with Algeria.
After the death of General Mohammed Oufkir, he became Minister of Defence, in August 1972 when the coup against the King failed. General Ben Omar el Alami becamc acting Defence Minister.