Tangier From the 18th century, Tangier served as Morocco's diplomatic headquarters. The United States dedicated its first consulate in Tangier during the George Washington administration. In 1821, the Legation Building in Tangier became the first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government—a gift to the U.S. from Sultan Moulay Suliman. In 1828, Great Britain blockaded the port in retaliation for piracy. As part of its ongoing conquest of neighboring Algeria, France declared war over Moroccan tolerance of Abd el-Kader; Tangier was bombarded by a French fleet under the Prince of Joinville on 6 August 1844. What little of its
Casablanca–Tangier high-speed rail line train that operated to Rabat, with revenue service planned to begin by the end of the year.<ref name="rg 11/18"></ref> King Mohammed VI named the high-speed service Al Boraq, in reference to the mythical creature that transported the Islamic prophets. The line is constructed in two sections—a new route from Tangier to Kenitra and an upgrade of the existing route from Kenitra to Casablanca. The Tangier–Kenitra line has a top speed of , while the Kenitra–Casablanca line was rated for when service began, with a planned upgrade to . The trackage from Kenitra to Casablanca is planned to be eventually replaced