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Friendly Dictators

Written in 1995

U.S. State Department Policy Planning Study #23, 1948:

Our real task... is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity [U.S. military- economic supremacy]... To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming... We should cease to talk about vague and...unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization... we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better. George Kennan, Director of Policy Planning. U.S. State Department. 1948

Many of the world's most repressive dictators have been friends of America.

Tyrants, torturers, killers, and sundry dictators and corrupt puppet-presidents have been aided, supported, and rewarded handsomely for their loyalty to US interests. Traditional dictators seize control through force, while constitutional dictators hold office through voting fraud or severely restricted elections, and are frequently puppets and apologists for the military juntas which control the ballot boxes. In any case, none have been democratically elected by the majority of their people in fair and open elections.

They are democratic America's undemocratic allies. They may rise to power through bloody ClA-backed coups and rule by terror and torture. Their troops may receive training or advice from the CIA and other US agencies. US military aid and weapons sales often strengthen their armies and guarantee their hold on power. Unwavering "anti-communism" and a willingness to provide unhampered access for American business interests to exploit their countries' natural resources and cheap labor are the excuses for their repression, and the primary reason the US government supports them. They may be linked internationalIy to extreme right-wing groups such as the World Anti-Communist League, and some have had strong Nazi affiliations and have offered sanctuary to WWll Nazi war criminals.

They usually grow rich, while their countries' economies deteriorate and the majority of their people live in poverty. US tax dollars and US-backed loans have made billionaires of some, while others are international drug dealers who also collect CIA paychecks. Rarely are they called to account for their crimes. And rarely still, is the US government held responsible for supporting and protecting some of the worst human rights violators in the world.

Friendly dictators

Abacha, General Sani ----------------------------Nigeria

Amin, Idi ------------------------------------------Uganda

Banzer, Colonel Hugo ---------------------------Bolivia

Batista, Fulgencio --------------------------------Cuba

Bolkiah, Sir Hassanal ----------------------------Brunei

Botha, P.W. ---------------------------------------South Africa

Branco, General Humberto ---------------------Brazil

Cedras, Raoul -------------------------------------Haiti

Cerezo, Vinicio -----------------------------------Guatemala

Chiang Kai-Shek ---------------------------------Taiwan

Cordova, Roberto Suazo ------------------------Honduras

Christiani, Alfredo -------------------------------El Salvador

Diem, Ngo Dihn ---------------------------------Vietnam

Doe, General Samuel ----------------------------Liberia

Duvalier, Francois --------------------------------Haiti

Duvalier, Jean Claude-----------------------------Haiti

Fahd bin'Abdul-'Aziz, King ---------------------Saudi Arabia

Franco, General Francisco -----------------------Spain

Hassan II-------------------------------------------Morocco

Marcos, Ferdinand -------------------------------Philippines

Martinez, General Maximiliano Hernandez ---El Salvador

Mobutu Sese Seko -------------------------------Zaire

Noriega, General Manuel ------------------------Panama

Ozal, Turgut --------------------------------------Turkey

Pahlevi, Shah Mohammed Reza ---------------Iran

Papadopoulos, George --------------------------Greece

Park Chung Hee ---------------------------------South Korea

Pinochet, General Augusto ---------------------Chile

Pol Pot---------------------------------------------Cambodia

Rabuka, General Sitiveni ------------------------Fiji

Montt, General Efrain Rios ---------------------Guatemala

Salassie, Halie ------------------------------------Ethiopia

Salazar, Antonio de Oliveira --------------------Portugal

Somoza, Anastasio Jr. --------------------------Nicaragua

Somoza, Anastasio, Sr. -------------------------Nicaragua

Smith, Ian ----------------------------------------Rhodesia

Stroessner, Alfredo -----------------------------Paraguay

Suharto, General ---------------------------------Indonesia

Trujillo, Rafael Leonidas -----------------------Dominican Republic

Videla, General Jorge Rafael ------------------Argentina

Zia Ul-Haq, Mohammed ----------------------Pakistan