Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XXIV, North Africa

258. Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency¹

NESA M#86–20098

Washington, June 30, 1986

Morocco: On the Eve of King Hassan’s Visit to Washington [portion marking not declassified]

Summary

Moroccan King Hassan’s visit this month will be his first official visit to the United States since 1982.² He views the trip as signifying that bilateral relations are back on track after a strained period following the announcement of the Moroccan-Libyan Union in August 1984. He will be looking for additional economic and military assistance to help ease mounting economic pressures and as a measure of Washington’s appreciation for his support for US interests in the region. [portion marking not declassified]

The King’s hold on power is secure over the near term. Nevertheless, deteriorating economic conditions coupled with high expectations among the burgeoning youthful population are threats to his authority. [portion marking not declassified]

Hassan has been slow to face up to domestic problems and immerses himself in foreign policy issues. He views himself as an international statesman and is likely to stress during his visit that his ties with Washington, contacts with Israel, and his position as head of the Arab League give him the opportunity to broker a Middle East peace settlement. The King’s foreign policy preoccupation, however, continues to be Morocco’s war with the Algerian-backed Polisario Front in the Western Sahara—a struggle that he appears determined to win on the battlefield despite professing openness to a negotiated settlement in recent UN sponsored mediation talks.³ A sensitive issue for him is the Moroccan-Libyan Union; Hassan persists in maintaining the accord even though the benefits to Rabat have been limited. [portion marking not declassified]

[Omitted here is the body of the memorandum.]

1. Source: Reagan Library, Elaine L. Morton Files, Hassan Visit (12/20/1985–06/30/1986). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. Prepared in the Maghreb Branch, Arab-Israeli Division, Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency, based on information received as of June 30.
2. See Document 205.
3. Reference is to the ongoing attempts by Pérez de Cuellar to negotiate a settlement of the Western Sahara war at the UN. In telegram 156552 to Algiers and Rabat, May 17, the Department informed the Embassies that “lack of progress in initial rounds of Western Sahara proximity talks under the auspices of the SYG is not surprising. Although we have no reason to assume that the longer run outlook for these talks is more promising, Department believes that there are substantial advantages to encouraging continuation of this mediation effort.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D860383–0596) For more on these negotiations, see the Western Sahara chapter.