MOROCCO AND USA

U.S.-MOROCCAN RELATIONS
Moroccans recognized the Government of the United States in 1777. Formal U.S. relations with Morocco date from 1787, when the two nations negotiated a Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Renegotiated in 1836, the treaty is still in force, constituting the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history. As testament to the special nature of the U.S.-Moroccan relationship, Tangier is home to the oldest U.S. diplomatic property in the world, and the only building on foreign soil that is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the American Legation in Tangier (now a museum).

U.S.-Moroccan relations are characterized by mutual respect and friendship. They have remained strong through cooperation and bilateral contacts and visits, including Secretary of State Colin Powell’s visit to Morocco in December 2003, Prime Minister Jettou’s visit to Washington in January 2004, and King Mohammed's latest visit to the United States in July 2004.

The shared interests of the United States and Morocco include the economic prosperity of both countries, countering terrorism and extremism, the pursuit of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East region, support for U.S. efforts in Iraq, the maintenance of regional security and cooperation, and sustainable development and protection of the environment. U.S. objectives with Morocco include maintaining cordial and cooperative relations; supporting Moroccan efforts to democratize; improving human rights;, developing an increasingly effective administration; and aiding Morocco's domestic, social, and economic progress.

In June 2004, the United States and Morocco signed a comprehensive bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) – America’s second with an Arab country and the first in Africa. Under the agreement, customs duties on 95 percent of consumer and manufactured goods will disappear on the first day of implementation.

Morocco was granted Major Non-Nato Ally status in June 2004. In addition to scheduled U.S. Navy port visits, Morocco allows coordinated access by American forces to its facilities and Moroccan air and sea space. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for FY 04 was $10 million and is programmed for $20 million in FY 05. International Military Education and Training (IMET) was $1.5 million for FY 04 and is programmed for $1.85 million in FY 05. An Article 98 Agreement with Morocco went into force in November 2003. Morocco has allowed NASA the use of the airfield at Ben Guerir as an emergency landing site for U.S. space shuttles. The $225-million International Board of Broadcaster's (IBB) transmitter in Morocco is one of the world's largest IBB transmitters. The IBB operates the Radio Sawa FM Arabic news and music channel in Rabat and Casablanca and five other major radio markets in Morocco

[Boogski]

Interesting. I wasn't aware Morocco/US relations went back that far.

[Super_Beur]

Morocco is becammin sucker of usa

[voltaires_priest]

A staggering piece of incisive comment, super_beur


V

[coolpharess]

salam
that is history!!!

[_thetruth]

Hang on Jeff is right.at the time Morocco only did it to get back at England for trying to invade Morocco on many occasions but failed wonder why?
The 1786 treaty was renegotiated in 1835 under unusual circumstances. By this time James R. Leib occupied the Consulate at Tangier, for which President Washington had requested funds in 1795. Leib was instructed to go to Fez, where the Sultan was holding Court, to renegotiate the treaty of 1786. He refused-for reasons probably unique in American diplomatic history.
In 1833 Leib had accepted from the Sultan a lion and two horses as gifts to the Untied States. He sent an urgent communication to Washington recommending use of the horses Tangier and seeking authorization to ship the lion to Washington. Washington replied suggesting getting rid of the lion but sending the horses to Washington if they good. The cost of feeding the was $1 per day, and Leib's salary was $2,000 a year. By the time was instructed to proceed to Fez, Leib had spent $439.50 on the animal, but had not received a reply to his appeal to Washington to take the lion off his hands. He could not sell the animals for fear offending the Sultan, and he was disinclined to put himself in a position to receive further marks of the Sultan's esteem for the United States which might prove equally costly to him.

Leib solved his problem in the traditional bureaucratic fashion: he sent his Vice Consul, John F. Mullawny. The treaty was renegotiated by Mullawny and signed at Meknes in September 1836. It is still in force today, probably the most durable treaty in American history.
Early in the Civil War, Confederate ships called at Tangier. After this indiscretion was called to the attention of the Moroccan Government by the American Government, life at the Legation was occasionally disturbed by hostile crowds, protesting the U.S. Navy's interference with Moroccan trade. On several occasions it even became necessary for U.S. Marines to come ashore to move prisoners which had been taken from Confederate ships, through town to U.S. warships.

The sultane was very clever for predicting the USA would be a major power. since then the USA never forgot that and in the 40s the USA was the first country to help Morocco when the Nazies bombarded Casablanca and the US soldiers established many bases to launch war aganst Gemany from Morocco. This effort provided the backbone for the first U.S. military expedition in the west, doomed the Axis in Africa, and laid the groundwork for the landings in Italy and France.

we must not forget that it part of the treaty was to support each others and the US was the main exporter to Morocco of Flour untill Morocco signed a peace treaty with Libya and the help stoped which sent a huge shortage of flour in that year.

[Bond]

Morocco is just a poodle of the US and the sooner we kick your asses out of the Western Sahara the better.