US Congressman Joe Wilson introduces bill to designate Polisario as a terrorist group

Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina has introduced legislation to designate the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization.

Wilson’s bill is co-sponsored on a bipartisan basis with Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

The bill outlines a legislative framework aimed at designating the Polisario Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law with increasing ties to state and non-state actors hostile to US interests, specifically Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia. 

These connections are portrayed as not only a threat to regional stability but also as part of a broader geopolitical effort to undermine the security of the Kingdom of Morocco, a long-standing U.S. ally.

“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,” Wilson said in a tweet.

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.

Grateful to introduce bipartisan legislation with @RepJimmyPanetta to designate the Polisario… pic.twitter.com/ESQjgwefLo

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) June 26, 2025

The proposed legislation arrives in the wake of renewed diplomatic engagements between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, affirming Washington’s endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only realistic solution to the decades-old conflict.

This legislative move reflects a broader shift in U.S. policy to confront malign regional actors and fortify alliances in North Africa. It also sends a clear message that American support for Morocco’s territorial integrity is increasingly legislative.