Corsairs, Pirates and Treaty of Friendship

Submitted by Farid (Germany), Feb 17, 2006 at 09:19

What you're omitting to mention here is that this was one of the main reasons why the very young United States asked the King of Morocco for help against the pirating corsairs (both in the mediterranean sea and the atlantic). This resulted in the oldest treaty of friendship of the US with a foreign country; a treaty that has never been broken.

Incidentally, Morocco was the first country to actually diplomatically recognize the US (!) and the first US government's building (can we call it embassy? yes I think so) outside US soil was actually in Tangiers. You may want to have a look at the US State Department's publications:

http://www.usembassy.ma/usmorrelations/historicalbgrnd2.htm

Even Donald Rumsfeld refers in his most recent statement to this treaty:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2006/20060213_4199.html

So much for your little quotation on north african corsairs and pirates. :)

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