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Chomsky: US supports stable dictators
[Iran Press TV] Weighing in on the latest developments in the Arab world, renowned American intellectual Noam Chomsky says the US policy of "stability" in the Middle East refers to "stable dictators."That's right. You thought Noam was dead, didn't you? C'mon, admit it.  In a Wednesday interview with Press TV, Chomsky said the US and its allies have vested interests in stable dictatorships in energy-rich countries like Libya rather than real democracies. "There is a reason why there is so much concern about the democracy uprising in the Arab world than in, say, the sub-Saharan Africa. This is where the major energy resources of the world are. There is quite a good reason why the US and its allies will pull out no stops to prevent any really functioning democracy from developing in the Arab world," the renowned professor said about the revolutions in Libya and Egypt. He further added that US President Barack B.O.Obama hesitatingly supported the revolution in Egypt after several organizations and human rights ... which are not the same thing as individual rights, mind you... groups wrote letters to the White House urging it to stop backing Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. "The US (President Barack Obama) was in fact continuing to back Mubarak dictatorship until (Campaign for Peace and Democracy in New York and several other rights groups) urged him to drop that stand and provide at least verbal support for the popular uprising," he continued to say. Chomsky further added that the Arab world considers the United States and Israel "a real threat" to world security. "For the Arab public, the major threat by overwhelming majority is the US and Israel," he noted. The renowned author also added that former US President Dwight David Eisenhower had warned of anti-US sentiments in the Arab world; a prediction which has come true nowadays. "Eisenhower was concerned about what he called the campaign of hatred against the US in the Arab world not among the governments that were mostly compiled but with the people," Chomsky said. "There was an analysis at the same time by the National Security administration 'the highest planning body' which said yes, there is a campaign of hatred and the reason is that there is a perception that the US supports dictatorships and blocks democracy and development," he noted. This comes at a time pro-democracy protesters prepare for the 10th day of revolution against ruler Muammar Qadaffy, despite the fact that a massive crackdown on civilians by Libyan forces has left as many as 1,000 dead. A total of 130 Libyan soldiers have been executed for refusing to open fire on anti-Qadaffy protesters. On Tuesday, Qadaffy pledged to fight the intensifying revolution against his four-decade-long grip on power. The embattled ruler, who came to power 41 years ago in a bloodless military coup, delivered a televised address on Tuesday in which he vowed to fight on to his "last drop of blood" and called on his supporters to take to the streets to confront the pro-democracy protesters. Posted by: Fred 2011-02-25 |
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