ABSTRACT
In recent years, the Maghreb has undoubtedly become a region of great
interest to the United States. The main reasons for this heightened interest
are divided into two broad categories: 1) economic and political interests,
and 2) military and security interests. The first are linked to America’s
energy needs, mainly oil and gas in Algeria and Libya, and now Maur-
itania, as well as the regionalization that could provide a potentially
important market for US corporations. The second set of motives is related
to the consequences of the attacks on America on 11 September 2001, which have increased the need for a new form of management of the ques-
tions of security, Islamism, terrorism, and democratization. These questions
fall within the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative (BMENA)
that the Bush Administration launched in 2003.
