Morocco's 'Stability' Buys US Support, Not Reforms
The New Arab reports that Moroccan public figures are urging King Mohammed VI to address youth protests demanding constitutional reform, acknowledging their 'legitimate' grievances. This comes after widespread demonstrations, especially among younger generations, highlighting economic hardship and rights violations. However, the story conveniently sidesteps the US's strategic silence—or outright
backing—of the Moroccan monarchy, particularly since its normalization with Israel via the 2020 Abraham Accords. Where's the 'democracy promotion' when US allies are the ones stifling dissent? Instead of pressuring for reforms, Washington has prioritized regional 'stability' and arms deals. In 2023, the US approved a potential foreign military sale to Morocco for HIMARS launchers and associated
equipment worth an estimated $524.2 million (Defense Security Cooperation Agency, April 2023). That's a curious investment for a nation seemingly uninterested in its people's demands for basic rights. One might wonder whose 'stability' is truly being preserved when US weapons flow to regimes that silence their own populations, while 'public figures' pen polite letters instead of demanding real
accountability.