Kissinger was a very controversial figure in how Morocco seized the Spanish Sahara. There is even some speculation that Kissinger himself gave Hassan the green light to invade the Sahara part of Spain. Kissinger was pro Morocco gaining that area of the Sahara in fear that if they didn’t, then communism would spread there. Kissinger also successfully helped secure American support for the regime of his newly befriended Juan Carlos King of Spain. Kissinger then helped to negotiate the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Western Sahara. Where he was involved in both morocco and Spain, telling the Spaniards they will cut off all their military aid and technology assistance and force a harder embargo[1]. It becomes complicated once Kissinger started talks with Hassan privately advising him with a lot of speculation telling Hassan how to get what he wants. Then he would meet with the Minister of foreign affairs Abdul-Aziz Bouteflika, where in Paris in 1975 he assured the minister of foreign affairs of that the US was staying neutral and not getting involved, in the conflict. Bouteflika calls on Kissinger to get a UN referendum, and Algeria would accept it, but also told Kissinger that the US could have interrupted their civilian and military aid and established an embargo on Morocco, which would have stopped any invasion[2]. What Bouteflika said there proves that Kissinger really was on a side, because Kissinger’s only response was that he was worried for the spread of communism. On morning of November 3 President Ford, Scowcroft and Kissinger met in the Oval Office Green March was discussed. Kissinger believes Algeria wanted a port and there were rich phosphate deposits there, and Algeria was threatening the US with their Middle East positions. It’s not confirmed but there is a lot of talk that Kissinger misled President Ford about the situation in Morocco, and about the Algerians really threatening to use Middle East position[3]. Kissinger explained to President Ford that this was probably shaping up to be another Greek-Turkey problem, which meant the US would lose either way. The 3 of them decided that the UN should take care of it, and planned that the "UN could do it like West Irian, where they fuzz the consulting wishes of the people, and get out of it[4]. On November 5th the Assistant Secretary of State, Alfred Atherton was revealing the substance of his reasonable suggestion for the Sahara issue when Kissinger interrupted him to say just turn it over to the UN, to deal with[5]. The following day Hassan announced the withdrawal of his marchers from Spain. However it was Kissinger’s belief that if Hassan didn’t get success he would be overthrown, So Kissinger and President Ford hoped for a rigged UN vote[6]. Obviously Kissinger didn’t deliver in the rigged UN vote instead the Sahara was divided into 2/3 became Moroccan and the other third went to Maritime. What we know or understand about Kissinger is that even before this he was a controversial figure in other world matters. In this conflict he manipulated Spain through economic threats, and encouraged Morocco to threaten Spain with violence to get what they wanted. He also lied to the former prime minister of foreign affairs, current president of Algeria, that the US was neutral, and in no way wanted one side or the other. He is believed to have misled President Ford in the situation in Morocco and Algerian intent, and was clearly caught from the documents that were released to conspire with President Ford about rigging the UN referendum in Morocco’s favor. Some files on this matter were declassified 4 years ago which has a lot of importance because the former Algerian minister of foreign affairs, that Kissinger misled and led to, is now the President of Algeria.
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