Henry Kissinger «revealed» to Spain Hassan II's plan to carry an armed attack in the Sahara

After the attempted coup in July 1971, Hassan II became suspicious of the Americans to the point that CIA agents in Morocco were unaware of the Green March project. A State Department document states that Henry Kissinger, the former United States Secretary of State, was certain that the king was planning an attack against the Sahara controlled at the time by the Spanish. Kissinger shared the information with the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sahara CIA files #10 : After defeat in the Sand War, Algeria sought to seize Figuig

Following its defeat in the Sand War, Algeria considered surprising Morocco and occupying the border town of Figuig, according to a CIA document.

Sahara CIA files #9 : Hassi Beida, a Moroccan land annexed to Algeria by France

The border dispute between Morocco and Algeria began shortly after Algeria's independence, with Morocco demanding that Algeria honor an agreement to negotiate the colonial-era borders. However, Algeria's President Ben Bella rejected negotiations, leading to strained relations and the armed conflict known as the Sand War, which eventually ended with a ceasefire mediated by the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

Sahara CIA files #8 : The sand wall, the «Great Wall of Morocco» according to the United States

The CIA described Morocco's Sand Wall in the Sahara as an unprecedented defense installation that effectively turned the tide of the war against the Polisario Front. The wall's success in reducing insurgent activity and stabilizing the region attracted attention from both US and Soviet military experts.

Sahara CIA files #7 : When the Polisario feared Algeria would abandon it

In the early 1980s, the Polisario Front's greatest fear was that Algeria might abandon it. Algeria, had come to believe that the Sahara conflict could not be resolved militarily and began to focus on diplomatic solutions to the regional dispute.

Sahara CIA files #6 : Algeria thwarted Polisario relations with the USSR

In its early years, the Polisario Front avoided relations with the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Libya. This caution stemmed from their fear of Algeria's reaction, as Algeria exerted relatively strict control over the movement's decisions, reveals a CIA document.

Sahara CIA files #5 : King Hassan II turned Polisario victories into defeats

In the early 1980s, King Hassan II turned the Polisario Front's military and diplomatic «victories» into defeats, a fact acknowledged by the separatist movement itself. In 1983, a CIA document returned on this aspect of the regional conflict.

Sahara CIA files #4 : The downfall of the Morocco-Libya union

A declassified 1984 CIA document reveals Algeria's efforts to bolster the Polisario Front by strengthening its ties with Iran and Syria. This move was seen as a response to the rapprochement between Morocco's King Hassan II and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in the mid-1980s.

Sahara CIA files #3 : US feared a Moroccan attack on Tindouf

A declassified CIA document from February 13, 1987, analyzes potential military escalation between Morocco and Algeria. The report considers scenarios following Morocco's successful defense against Polisario attacks after building the Sand Wall.

Sahara CIA files #2 : In 1985, Gaddafi claimed responsibility for founding Polisario

In a speech delivered in 1985, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi claimed to have been behind the creation of the Polisario Front. According to him, the initial aim of the separatist movement was not to establish a new state, but rather to rise up against Spanish colonization.