Friday, February 04, 2011

What other dictators does the U.S. support?

Aside from Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, here are the other most controversial leaders propped up by the U.S.

By Justin Elliott, Salon, Feb 2, 2011

As Egyptian pro-democracy protests rage on, media attention has suddenly focused on the U.S. alliance with the country’s authoritarian rulers. American support for the Egyptian government — to the tune of $60 billion in aid over the last 30 years — garnered virtually no regular attention before the protests began.

There are now reports of anti-American sentiment among the Egyptian protesters, who are angry about U.S. support for Hosni Mubarak over the years and about the Obama administration’s hesitance to throw its full support behind the movement. A powerful symbol has emerged in tear gas canisters bearing “Made in the USA” labels that police have fired into the crowds.

So this is a good moment to take a look at where else in the world American taxpayer dollars are helping to prop up dictatorships with poor human rights records. The below examples are the most controversial ones, though not a comprehensive accounting.

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