ABSTRACT
Although the central Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) has gained great importance since the end of the cold war, and especially since 9/11, US–Moroccan relations have remained steady. The US considers the kingdom of Morocco as a friend and ally. Even though US– Tunisian relations have been close and those between Algeria and the US have witnessed evolution, neither Tunisia nor Algeria has reached a status in US policy nearly as high as Morocco’s. Most US official documents repeat ad infinitum that “Morocco was the first country to seek diplomatic relations with the Government of the United States in 1777, and remains one of our oldest and closest allies in the region. Formal US relations with Morocco date from 1787, when the two nations negotiated a Treaty of Peace and Friendship.” 1 This constitutes the Treaty of Marrakesh, which has remained the oldest unbroken treaty in US foreign relations. Already, in the early years of the republic, the US had called on the king of Morocco, Sidi Mohammed III, to intervene on its behalf with Tripoli and Tunis to secure free passage for US merchant ships then under attacks from these two regencies. 2 In a letter dated December 1, 1789, George Washington wrote to Mohammed III, whom he referred to as his “Great, Magnanimous Friend,” that,
… It gives me pleasure to have this opportunity of assuring your majesty that I shall not cease to promote every measure that may conduce to the friendship and harmony which so happily subsist between your empire and these. Within our territories, there are no mines of either gold or of silver, and this young nation, just recovering from the waste and desolation of a long war, has not, as yet, had time to acquire riches by agriculture and commerce. But our soil is beautiful, and our people industrious, and we have reason to flatter ourselves that we shall gradually become useful to our friends ….
