Iowa Republican Rep. co-sponsors bill to designate Polisario Front as terrorist organisation

WASHINGTON - Iowa Republican Congressman Zachary Nunn added his name as a co-sponsor to the Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act (H.R. 4119), a bipartisan bill in the US House of Representatives that seeks to classify the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and impose sanctions on the group. 

Nunn joined the legislation on Tuesday, bringing the total number of co-sponsors to seven (plus the original sponsor), according to updates on the official Congress.gov website.

The bill, formally introduced on June 24 by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and co-sponsored originally by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), directs the US administration to assess whether the Polisario Front meets the criteria for FTO designation under US counterterrorism laws. If designated, the group would face asset freezes, travel bans, financial restrictions, and other penalties typically applied to entities deemed threats to US national security or foreign policy interests.

Growing Momentum in Congress

Nunn's support follows a steady increase in backing for the measure.

The addition of Nunn, a member of the House Financial Services Committee with a background as a US Air Force Colonel and former intelligence officer, underscores the bill's appeal among Republican lawmakers focused on counterterrorism, regional stability, and alliances in North Africa.

Supporters of the legislation, including sponsor Joe Wilson, have framed the Polisario Front — the Algeria-backed separatist movement seeking independence for Western Sahara — as a "Marxist militia" allegedly supported by Iran and Hezbollah. Wilson has described it as providing Iran with a "strategic outpost in Africa" while destabilizing Morocco, a long-standing US ally since 1777.

The bill's proponents argue that designation would counter alleged foreign interference, human rights concerns in the Tindouf camps (where Polisario administers Sahrawi refugee populations), and threats to regional security.

The push comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the decades-long Western Sahara conflict, where Morocco proposes autonomy under its sovereignty while the Polisario demands a referendum on self-determination. The United States has recognized Morocco's sovereignty claim over the territory since 2020 (under the Trump administration).

The Polisario Front has not been designated a terrorist organization by the US State Department or major international bodies, though isolated incidents and allegations of links to other groups have fueled debate.

Implications and next steps

While the bill remains in the early stages — referred to the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees since its introduction — its growing co-sponsor list signals increasing congressional attention to the issue. If advanced, it would require a formal determination by the executive branch, potentially under the incoming or current administration's foreign policy priorities.

The development aligns with Morocco’s broader diplomatic efforts to isolate the Polisario politically and economically. Nunn's involvement, given his focus on countering Iranian influence (as seen in his prior legislation on maximum pressure against Tehran), adds weight to arguments framing the bill within global counterterrorism and alliance-strengthening frameworks.