Bolton's Bluster Attempts to Trivialize US Foreign Policy with Baseless Western Sahara Claims

Morocco World

07-07-2025

Rabat – Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton — a vocal advocate for Polisario and its terrorist agenda targeting Morocco's sovereignty and security – continues to disseminate what critics describe as empty rhetoric, baseless and contradictory remarks on the Western Sahara dispute amid a growing international momentum backing Morocco's territorial integrity.
Bolton, who was ousted by Trump in 2019 as a national security advisor, has been conveying similar remarks in a series of recent interviews, including one published by El Independiente on July 6.
During the interview, he attempted to trivialize the US foreign policy, especially on Western Sahara, claiming that President Donald Trump could reconsider his position on the dispute if he were offered business incentives such as resort concessions along the Atlantic coast.
When asked about Trump's approach, Bolton said that 'Western Sahara has a long Atlantic coast. He could imagine building resorts and casinos there,' further claiming that 'If his company were given a concession to develop in the area, maybe that would make him support a referendum- if he sees some incentive to change his position.'
Bolton advised the Polisaro separatist group to consider a solution 'where they have something to gain.'
His claims not only reduced a long-standing diplomatic position but also downplayed the institutional weight of his own country's foreign policy. Bolton also fixated on the referendum proposal for Western Sahara, which has long been regarded as an outdated and politically obsolete initiative that has been stalled for decades.
Morocco's Autonomy Plan, meanwhile, continues to gain growing international support. Not only the US, but France, Spain, and more than 113 countries worldwide expressed endorsement for the autonomy initiative, viewing it as the only or the most realistic and credible solution for the Western Sahara dispute.
In contrast, the referendum proposal has been receiving support from just a few countries, like South Africa and Algeria, as a solution to end the dispute.
However, the international community has acknowledged that a sustainable solution in the Western Sahara requires a lasting and realistic approach. Fixating on baseless narratives
Like Bolton, Algeria has been obsessively fixated on the referendum, which is no longer referenced or mentioned by the Security Council or the UN General Assembly – whom buried that option since 2002 and 2003, respectively.
Despite recent developments, Bolton and Algeria's regime continue to cling to outdated narratives and refuse to acknowledge the growing momentum backing Morocco's initiative.
In his interview, Bolton echoed the same narratives he has been disseminating in almost all of his interviews, claiming it 'would have been a simple referendum.'
'I still believe the US could say: 'Look, we're recognizing Morocco's de facto control, but we still think a referendum should be held,'' Bolton claimed.
Such claims come as little surprise from Bolton, who has long shown support for Polisaro's terrorist acts to downplay or indirectly justify the group's actions targeting Morocco's security.
In a recent interview in June, Bolton minimized the separatist group's terrorist links despite mounting evidence of their extremist activities, claiming that he saw no warning signs in regard to Polisario during his visits to Tindouf.
'I've been to Tindouf, I think the first time was about 30 years ago. I saw no signs of Marxists, jihadists, or Iranians, or anything like that,' he claimed.
Bolton described reports of Polisario terrorist attacks against Morocco's southern provinces as mere 'desperate propaganda.'
The former national security advisor, who has been seen as a warmonger by many, has also disregarded the international appeals, even from within his own country, that have been calling for labeling the Polisario Front as a terrorist group.
Last month, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson announced that he submitted a bipartisan bill to the US Congress to classify the separatist group as a foreign terrorist organization.
'The Polisario is a Marxist militia backed by Iran, Hezbollah and Russia providing Iran a strategic outpost in Africa and destabilizing the Kingdom of Morocco, a U.S. ally for 248 years,' the bill read.