US funds and arms its dictatorial allies to block domestic challenges
Evidence
In the context of the Arab uprisings of 2011, the Obama administration at first supported its dictatorial allies (such as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, a personal friend of the Clinton family). When it became clear that they were going to be swept from power, Obama embraced the Arab Spring, at least in public, while at the same time supporting counterrevolutionary forces around the region. The United States continued to fund the Egyptian military, the key source of counterrevolution in that country. Elsewhere the Obama White House stayed silent—such as when Saudi Arabia not only repressed its Shi’a rebellion but also sent troops to Bahrain to crush the uprising in that country. Had Obama wanted to intervene on the side of the prodemocracy demonstrators in Bahrain, he could have used the Fifth Fleet, which is stationed there. Instead, he opted to support pro-Western forces in Libya and Syria as a means of replacing inconsistent allies and deflating movements demanding real democracy and social change. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 580 (
#exemplifies, via linked claim)
The reason the United States has supported authoritarian regimes for so long is not difficult to discern. In its Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union, the United States did everything in its power to establish alliances with governments that both supported its battle against communism and provided vital access to oil and energy reserves. Many of these governments were autocratic, but this mattered little when the stakes were so high. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 298 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: The US frames alliances with Egyptian dictators as terrorism-war pacts to justify outsourcing torture — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 42; US Cold War aid demanded political allegiance and punished defectors; US policy backed dictators and counterrevolution against the Arab Spring — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 580 (+7 more)
Broader Connections
- US policy backed dictators and counterrevolution against the Arab Spring
#exemplifies(0.92) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 580 - U.S. officials collaborated with murderous regimes to secure base access overseas.
#exemplifies(0.90) - Cold War and oil interests drove US support for autocratic allies
#corroborates(0.88) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 298 - The United States tends to support dictators in nations hosting its bases
#expands(0.85) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 308 - Supporting repressive regimes gives the U.S. military incentive to block democratization.
#expands(0.80) - US Cold War aid coerced political allegiance through carrot-and-stick incentives.
#corroborates(0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 143 - Supporting dictators harms the United States as much as host nations
#expands(0.75) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 311 - US imperial interests, not Islamist actions, determine Islamist ally or enemy status
#expands(0.75) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 278