Morocco–United States relations  Morocco–United States relations are bilateral relations between Morocco and the United States. Relations between the empire of Morocco and the United States of America date back to the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Morocco remains one of America's oldest and closest allies in North Africa, a status affirmed by Morocco's zero-tolerance policy towards Al-Qaeda and their affiliated groups. Morocco also assisted the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency with questioning al-Qaeda members captured in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere during the administration of 43rd President George W. Bush, who designated the country as a Major non-NATO ally. Formal U.S. diplomatic relations with Morocco began in 1787 when the Confederation Congress ratified a Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations which had been negotiated earlier in 1786. Renegotiated in 1836, the treaty is still in force, constituting the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history, and Tangier is home to the oldest U.S. diplomatic property in the world. Now a museum, the Tangier American Legation Museum is also the only building outside of the U.S. that is now a National Historic Landmark. Morocco is also one of the few countries in Africa to extend visa-free travel to American citizens. The U.S. maintains an embassy in Rabat, Morocco. Morocco maintains an embassy in the United States at 1601 21st Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 2009. In 1786 under Sultan Mohammed III Morocco became the first African state, and the first Muslim state to sign a treaty with the United States. On 20 December 1777, Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah commissioned the Dutch consul in Salé to write letters to the European merchants and consuls in Tangier, Salé, Larache and Mogador stating that vessels sailing under the American flag could enter Morocco's ports, alongside those of European countries with which Morocco had no diplomatic ties, such as Russia and Prussia, under the same conditions as those enjoyed by the nations that had treaty relations. Information about the Sultan's desire for friendly relations did not reach Benjamin Franklin, the American emissary to the Kingdom of France in Paris before April 1778 at the earliest. In 1777, Morocco became the first nation to conduct trade with the new United States, which is sometimes considered as a recognition of the country's independence — but that "recognition" did not include the necessary treaty nor the exchange of ambassadors, only the admission of American ships.