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Comment by ZenoArrow | Hacker News Reader

This particular international dispute is news to me, but based on this article I hope the Saharawi people will have their land returned to them without having to rely on force. It's sad that diplomacy can result in stalemate for so long and that conflict is the means by which we seem to have to fall back on to inject some urgency into finding a resolution.

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This article is really one sided. First, it doesn't cite Algeria's role in this conflict. Second, Mohamed Abdelaziz, current Secretary General of the Polisario Front is Morroccan. Most of his family lives in Morocco. Third, it doesn't talk about the terrible living conditions in Tindouf and the embezzlement of international aid by Polisarian Leaders. Final example, it doesn't show the great progress made in Laayoune or Dakhla since Spain left under Morroccan governance.

What was Algeria's role in the conflict?

As for the other arguments, you don't get to claim a territory just because you think you can run it better. It doesn't matter if Morocco has made improvements in the region if they're illegally occupying the territory, which is certainly what is being suggested by the article.

basically this is a single-hand decision of Moroccan royalty, they do it because they can, and maybe also they don't want to lose their face while losing half of Morocco territory. If you travel there, you'll clearly see even people look completely different in those regions - Moroccans are arabs, these people are africans. their cultures are worlds apart and they really have little in common. one were conquered by the other, recently, and the world just stood and didn't care (at least it didn't end up in usual african civil war with hundreds of thousands dead and millions driven out).

this place is so far not worth any fight for anybody in the west and morocco is playing nice & easy with europe/us.

>Moroccans are arabs Thats a wide generalisation. There are Moroccans who speak arabic and Moroccans who speak berber, just because they speak arabic doesnt mean that they are Arabs.

> Moroccans are arabs

Moroccans are not arabs. I can hardly believe you travelled there but not know this...

This agenda is supported by the US because of thorium in that part of Sahara, I suppose.

uPD: I was wrong. Its plain old good oil! http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/us-oil-compan... . So the US has stinky agenda there as always. Found oil in Antarctics? Its time to kill penguin terrorists, oh, by the way we have got Educated English speaking penguin appeared in Washington to form pro American government there!

You have entirely misunderstood the article you are quoting there - its allegation is that the US and UK oil companies in question are improperly relying on a deal with the Moroccan occupying authorities to operate in Western Saharan waters.

The article that is the subject of this thread, on the other hand, is supporting the Saharawi side, which is in opposition to the oil companies in your linked article.

This is a game. Of course underdeveloped nations are always wrong. And when developed nations get the resources, this is just a coincidence.

thorium is not in short supply. It's very easy to find more

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