At the United Nations in New York, US Congressman Joe Wilson described the separatist Polisario Front as “a terrorist organization” that destabilizes peace and security worldwide.
“In fact, the Polisario is a terrorist organization and I have introduced a bill to recognize it as such, because the existence of these terrorist groups contributes to destabilizing the world,” Wilson told reporters Tuesday on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly.
The South Carolina lawmaker had submitted a bipartisan bill in June – the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act – to classify the Algeria-based group as a foreign terrorist organization.
The bill details the group’s ties with Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, its involvement in violent attacks against Moroccan forces, and its role in destabilizing both the Maghreb and the Sahel.
One section of the text highlights “the Polisario Front’s documented history of ideological and operational ties with Iran, dating back to at least 1980,” when its fighters sought legitimacy under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s image.
It also cites satellite evidence Morocco presented in 2018 showing Tehran’s military support, which led Rabat to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.
The congressional bill underscores reports that Iran’s support for the Polisario has escalated “from training to equipping the group with drones and advanced munitions.”
Wilson’s text points to a 2025 Washington Post investigation reporting that Hezbollah had trained Polisario fighters and that Iranian drones were now in the group’s arsenal.
Wilson hails Morocco-US historic alliance
Wilson also praised the longstanding alliance between Morocco and the United States, describing it as a “mutually beneficial strategic partnership.”
“In the United States, we value the fact that the Kingdom of Morocco was the first nation to recognize the independence of the United States of America,” he said after meeting Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in New York.
He added: “Morocco and the United States have worked together for two and a half centuries, and we will continue to do so.”
Wilson called Morocco a vital ally, stressing Washington’s “steadfast support for the sovereignty, stability, and prosperity of the Kingdom.”
The relationship has a unique record in American diplomacy. Morocco opened its ports to US ships in 1777 and concluded the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1786, the oldest unbroken treaty in US history.
Over time, cooperation expanded – from hosting the Casablanca Conference in 1943, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt met Sultan Mohammed V, to Morocco’s designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2004.
Today, joint military exercises such as African Lion and the US-Morocco Strategic Dialogue reflect a partnership rooted in both history and modern security needs.
For Wilson, this trajectory explains why the US-Morocco alliance continues to serve as a model of trust and stability in the region.
MWN with MAP
