CIA Document Reveals Algeria's Role in Western Sahara Conflict, According to Declassified Report
Summary: A declassified 1977 CIA document reveals Algeria's strategic motives in supporting the Polisario Front in the Western Sahara conflict. The report highlights that Algeria's involvement is primarily driven by geopolitical competition with Morocco for regional dominance, rather than solely by principles of self-determination. The document sheds light on the complex dynamics of North African politics and the longstanding tensions between Morocco and Algeria. Description: This news article analyzes a recently surfaced CIA document from 1977, declassified in 2012, regarding the Western Sahara conflict. The document, marked "SECRET," provides insights into Algeria's role in supporting the Polisario Front.
HASSAN BENYOUB 
A declassified CIA document from 1977, released in 2012, has shed new light on the Western Sahara conflict and Algeria's role in supporting the Polisario Front. The document, marked "SECRET" and dated November 21, 2012, provides insights into the geopolitical motivations behind Algeria's involvement in the region.
Key points from the declassified document:
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The Western Sahara issue is described as a "vital element" in Morocco's geopolitical competition with Algeria.
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President Boumediene of Algeria, who initially acquiesced to a Moroccan-Mauritanian agreement on Western Sahara at the Arab summit in Rabat in 1974, reassessed Algeria's position in 1975.
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Following Morocco and Mauritania's takeover of the Sahara, Algeria "turned on its neighbors" and has since waged an effective proxy war using the Saharan nationalist movement as a tool of its policy.
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The document states that Algeria's ostensible reason for supporting the Polisario is the principle of self-determination. However, it reveals that Algeria's historical competition with Morocco for predominance in northwest Africa is its primary motivation.
This information provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics behind the Western Sahara conflict. It suggests that Algeria's support for the Polisario Front is not solely based on ideological principles but is deeply rooted in regional power politics and competition with Morocco.
The CIA's assessment highlights the strategic importance of the Western Sahara issue in the broader context of North African geopolitics. It also underscores the long-standing nature of the tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which continue to shape regional dynamics to this day.
As with all declassified intelligence documents, it's important to note that this information reflects the CIA's assessment at the time and should be considered in the context of other historical evidence and ongoing developments in the region. The document provides valuable historical context for understanding the origins and motivations behind the ongoing Western Sahara dispute.
