[ahayes]

other conflicts such as the Algeria-Morocco dispute over the Sahara desert

Ok, I'm feeling ignorant. I looked this up and I see Algeria and Morocco have been fighting over a thin strip land called the Western Sahara ever since Spain handed it over to Morocco. I was thinking I must be missing something, but apparently its only natural resources are phosphates and iron ore, none of the land is considered arable, and only a small amount of it is considered "pasture." Why are they fighting over a broiling wasteland?

[SunkenCiv]

Algeria constructed a phony "insurgent" movement and phony nationality under the auspices of the Polisario Front. It's roughly analogous to what the Egyptian, Arafat, has done with the PLO.

Morocco considers Western Sahara to be Moroccan territory. Meanwhile, Algeria has a low-grade civil war going as a result of a more or less free election held after the longtime dictator died. An Islamic party won, the commie apparatchiks didn't want to relinquish power to it, and nullified the election results.

As a result, Algeria has had other things to worry about than what the Moroccan monarchy does in WS.