EN
Strategically and for geopolitical reasons, North Africa is a very important region for contemporary international relations. After September 11th 2001, North African states began to play a more signifi cant role in American foreign policy. President George W. Bush encouraged and convinced some of the North African countries’ governments to join the counterterrorism military and political operation. Bush believed that the participation of North African states in the war on terror would be a clear sign for the rest of the world that Islamic fundamentalists are dangerous for everyone. For the U.S., support for the counterterrorism mission from Islamic countries was very important from a political and propaganda point of view. Apart from the strategic reasons, during G. W. Bush’s presidency the cooperation between the U.S and North Africa developed more deeply in the following fi elds: policy (Middle East peace process), international security and counterterrorism, economy (MEFTA), education, and the energy market.