Arab–American relations
Arab–American relations comprise a rich and nuanced narrative shaped by centuries of interaction, diplomacy, and exchange between the United States and the Arab world.
Throughout the Cold War era, the United States navigated intricate alliances and rivalries within the Arab world, often driven by strategic considerations, such as access to oil resources and containment of Soviet influence.
The Arab–Israeli conflict, catalyzed by the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, emerged as a central focal point, shaping diplomatic relations and regional dynamics for decades to come.
Amidst these geopolitical currents, cultural exchanges, educational initiatives, and economic partnerships have served as pillars of engagement, fostering understanding and cooperation between Arab nations and the United States.
[3][4][5][6] Formal U.S. diplomatic relations with Morocco began in 1787 when the Confederation Congress ratified a Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations which had been signed earlier in 1786.
Among the correspondence exchanged between America and Morocco, one notable instance was a letter from the inaugural President George Washington to Muhammed Ibn Abdullah.
Dated December 1, 1789, during the early months of his presidency, Washington addressed issues of authority and leadership in the United States, as well as the communication breakdown between Morocco and America.
In the letter, Washington expressed regret for delays in communication, attributing them to governmental transitions and a desire to establish clear terms of engagement.
He also commended Muhammed Ibn Abdullah's diplomatic efforts in protecting American ships from pirates, recognizing the vulnerability of the fledgling United States, which lacked naval power at the time.
These wars took place between 1801 and 1815 and were primarily sparked by the Barbary States' practice of piracy and extortion against American merchant ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
[12] During this time, the Barbary States, which included present-day Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco, held strategic positions along the North African coast and controlled crucial trade routes.
Additionally, the wars highlighted the complexities of diplomatic relations in the Mediterranean region, as the Barbary States were nominally under Ottoman control but operated independently.
Moreover, in comparison to European powers such as Britain and France which had managed to colonise almost all of the Arab world after defeating the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the United States was ‘popular and respected throughout the region’.
Among major powers, the United States' policy was to "tilt" toward Iraq by reopening diplomatic channels, lifting restrictions on the export of dual-use technology, overseeing the transfer of third party military hardware, and providing operational intelligence on the battlefield.
[20] However, this was later revealed to have been a front, as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and some other Arab states did, in fact, provide support to American troops, but they did not wish to risk offending Saddam pre-war by making those statements publicly.
"[22] In the mid-1970s, a prominent Russian-born American libertarian author, scholar and philosopher, Ayn Rand, advocated strong anti-Arab sentiment following the Arab-Israeli War of 1973: "The Arabs are one of the least developed cultures.
The violence of September 11 shows that when anti-Americanism is nurtured by the kind of indignation and resentment that in [turn] is stimulated and sanctioned by religious convictions, it can become spectacularly destructive.
[28] According to the 2023 Arab Youth Survey conducted by Dubai-based public relations firm ASDA'A BCW, the United States ranked seventh among countries considered friendly, compared with China, which took second place.
