http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?id=43527lowing wrote:
Show me the link that says they admit they found zero WMD's. Cuz I showed you links where they said they did find themsergeriver wrote:
You wasted time searching this??
They've already admitted they didn't find any WMD's. Don't you have a tv? Or your browser only lets you go to foxnews?
Depends on how you look at it: I'll give you a scenario:IG-Calibre wrote:
Quite simply - the end doesn't justify the means.
Edit: as for namecalling hey sorry i'm from N.Ireland "offence is taken but never intended", i've been called a lot worse, it's only a bit of banter
Your a cop, driving down a street in whatever some town, and you pull over this car for legal purposes (unsafe lane change, whatever) that looks suspicious (bear with me) and this guy matches a description of someone suspected to have kidnapped some kids, but you got this info from a hooker and she only gave a first name, not a reliable source, so you have no probable cause to search his vehicle, the guy still matches the exact description and the car matches the description as well (from the hooker) again no probable cause, you ask him if you can seach his car, he refuses (he has the right to do so) and you go ahead and snatch the keys from his hand, open the trunk and find two children wrapped and bound with rope, gagged, raped, and bleeding from cuts/injuries. What you did was illegal, but was it good???
The obvious answer is yes, now imagine that your the Sergeant of said police officer, and there was a camera mounted on the cruiser, and you have the tape, are you going to make it magically disappear so that this guy will go to jail for the rest of his life??? , or will you give it to the DA without being asked letting this guy go scott free to go and rape other children?? In my opinion in the first situation the end justified the means, you bypassed the law sure, but you saved two kids from DEATH and possible more rape and mutiliation. Its a tough question, tread lightly. BTW my family is from Ireland, and I'm part Irish, good to talk to you.
No real offense taken, I just thought you were either
1) Drunk
2) Immature
3) Both
4) Angry
Hey sorry man, I was only pointing out the truth, Bush didn't lie about this, he never said anything directly about it, so its not fair to say so, whether you did or not I don't know, but someone else said this, and they are just basing that off emotion. Once again, was it right to go into Iraq, maybe maybe not, I don't give a damn, but did Bush PURPOSELY deceive people, I don't think so, and theres no proof to it anyway so we won't ever know, so there is know use being so hateful about something you don't know for sure. That, is spam.Foxhoundmgw wrote:
Albert, maybe if you ALSO read my OP, you would have half a clue what I was saying, and if you just skip to the bottom about voting American, you might even read my opinion. Any other reply you 2 make due to skimming and not reading, is spam, purely.?
Wow, if it were within my ability to crown someone King Douche, the crown (crafted of empty douche bottles) would be resting on your head, Foxhound. When I wrote my post I purposefully threw in a red herring to help point out who was the biggest jerkoff who happened to be posting in the thread. The idea was to name several very legitimate ways in which the US has benefited the world and then take credit for one thing we didnt invent. The entertainment was provided by you, the ultimate nit-picker for taking the bait and making yourself look like an ass. Do you think it is just coincidence that I chose the television which was invented by John Logie Baird as the red herring?--a Scottish man? Anyway, your response shows just how petty you are. I list many ways in which the US has made your life better, and instead of acknowledging a point, you pick the one thing in there that isnt accurate and blast me for it. You are as grateful as you are gracious--exactly what I would expect from such a widely respected country full of models of civilized thought.Foxhoundmgw wrote:
Truth is a small word. But people act like it carrys so much fucking weight.
Funnily enough, one of your defensive number, spouted utter shit mingled in with other things. He's been picked up for it by several people. Not one of them was American.
Here it is. the happy happy fun fun.Electricity -|APB|-MeatDonkey wrote:
The great majority of everything created in the last century that is worth a sh*t was done so by Americans. Everything from electricity to the internet to TV to vaccines and medication.
Volta(Italian) Ampère(French) Ohm(German) Farraday(English) Tesla(Serbia) Edison(USA) Among Others
Internet (not to be confused with the World Wide Web invented by Berners-Lee(English))-
Primarily DARPA(USA)
Vaccine -
Jenner(English)
Medication-
Got to delve on this fucker.
med‧i‧ca‧tion /ˌmɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/
–noun
1. the use or application of medicine.
2. a medicinal substance; medicament.
So, medicine. China Egypt Greece India Persia (Later England France Germany)
You've already been shown to know fuck all for an 'educated man' regarding Television, so I'll not repeat the gentlemen who slapped you there. International efforts the fucking lot of them.
In closing.Would you like to publicly apologise to the Irish? I think you on webcam on Youtube would be fucking stunning. It might stop you looking like a clueless arrogant prick.|APB|-MeatDonkey wrote:
everything in your life that makes it easier is owed to American ingenuity, not drunken Irish panhandling. Show some respect.
As for the rest of your incoherent diatribe, I am not sure where you were going with the scientists who followed in Benjamin Franklin's footsteps. Nor do I really understand your enthusiasm for the semantics of medication vs medicine. If you can actually say that you do not think that American pharmacists have not pulled more than their share of the weight in combating disease, you are as nuts as you are drunk.
I really dont know what you were saying about the internet. It is common knowledge that it was an initiative of our (most hated) military that has not only made people's lives more convenient, but there is good case to be made that the transfer of information across the internet has been able to save millions of lives that would have been lost without it.
And, no, I dont feel like apologizing to you or anyone. I have Irish blood in my veins, but the difference between you and I is that my ancestors had the balls to take the boat ride over here and carve a new, better life out for themselves... yours didnt. Yours sat at home, bitched about the British, gnawed on shriveled potatoes, drank their rot-gut booze and did their best to ignore advances in dentistry. Because of the evident genetic superiority of my ancestors (as compared to yours), I enjoy a higher quality of life than you do. It must suck to be on the short end of the genetic stick, my Gaelic brother. So although I am not sorry for anything, I can, in an abstract way, understand how you would be incredibly disatisfied with your current situation. But lashing out at America is certainly going to get you nowhere. Try working hard for a change--and by that I dont mean the European definition, I am talking American hard work. If the Irish public worked as hard as Americans do, we wouldnt be having this pissing contest because you wouldnt be such a whiney bitch.
Small point: Foxhoundmgw is from ENGLAND. I think your anger was intended for me. As for your continued rant about the Irish whose blood you purport to carry - try reading a copy of 'The Economist'. We happen to have the strongest performing economy in all of Europe, the lowest level of unemployment, the highest per capita income bar Luxembourg and the highest standard of living in the world. I'll pass on the boat to USA thank you very much. I'm off back to my thatched cottage on my horse and cart for some potatoes, cabbage and bacon now. See ya!|APB|-MeatDonkey wrote:
And, no, I dont feel like apologizing to you or anyone. I have Irish blood in my veins, but the difference between you and I is that my ancestors had the balls to take the boat ride over here and carve a new, better life out for themselves... yours didnt. Yours sat at home, bitched about the British, gnawed on shriveled potatoes, drank their rot-gut booze and did their best to ignore advances in dentistry. Because of the evident genetic superiority of my ancestors (as compared to yours), I enjoy a higher quality of life than you do. It must suck to be on the short end of the genetic stick, my Gaelic brother. So although I am not sorry for anything, I can, in an abstract way, understand how you would be incredibly disatisfied with your current situation. But lashing out at America is certainly going to get you nowhere. Try working hard for a change--and by that I dont mean the European definition, I am talking American hard work. If the Irish public worked as hard as Americans do, we wouldnt be having this pissing contest because you wouldnt be such a whiney bitch.
Last edited by CameronPoe (2006-09-12 16:01:27)
I love cabbage, Kerry
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Ablert, or can I call you Bert or maybe Al? there is an old Belfast saying that goes something like this ".. Aye!!and if your Ma had a prick she'd be your Da ".. I think it's quite apt don't you?AlbertWesker[RE] wrote:
Depends on how you look at it: I'll give you a scenario:IG-Calibre wrote:
Quite simply - the end doesn't justify the means.
Edit: as for namecalling hey sorry i'm from N.Ireland "offence is taken but never intended", i've been called a lot worse, it's only a bit of banter
Your a cop, driving down a street in whatever some town, and you pull over this car for legal purposes (unsafe lane change, whatever) that looks suspicious (bear with me) and this guy matches a description of someone suspected to have kidnapped some kids, but you got this info from a hooker and she only gave a first name, not a reliable source, so you have no probable cause to search his vehicle, the guy still matches the exact description and the car matches the description as well (from the hooker) again no probable cause, you ask him if you can seach his car, he refuses (he has the right to do so) and you go ahead and snatch the keys from his hand, open the trunk and find two children wrapped and bound with rope, gagged, raped, and bleeding from cuts/injuries. What you did was illegal, but was it good???
The obvious answer is yes, now imagine that your the Sergeant of said police officer, and there was a camera mounted on the cruiser, and you have the tape, are you going to make it magically disappear so that this guy will go to jail for the rest of his life??? , or will you give it to the DA without being asked letting this guy go scott free to go and rape other children?? In my opinion in the first situation the end justified the means, you bypassed the law sure, but you saved two kids from DEATH and possible more rape and mutiliation. Its a tough question, tread lightly. BTW my family is from Ireland, and I'm part Irish, good to talk to you.
No real offense taken, I just thought you were either
1) Drunk
2) Immature
3) Both
4) Angry
I just came across this:- its a BBC Documentary interesting...
Ive read through most of the posts in this thread. Prity good debate in places. Childish name calling in others.
Most Supporters of the Regime change in Iraqi site that as the reason the US went in there in the first place, now all the other reasons have been found out to be false. My question the is:
Explain to me why these guys haven't been removed from office. Some of the crimes make Saddam look like the tooth fairy. Quite allot of them are "allies" of the west these days. Some were put there by the CIA, some supported the Taliban like Pakistan, who is now an Alie in the "war on terror".
If this new tactic of removal of bad dictators is the New USA foreign policy....as some posters would lead us to believe........... who's next? Remember though, the new rules mean you can't go in to countries to control their assets and natural resources. Has to be because they are "very very naughty boys"
(I posted these bad boys in another thread. This time its to ask a genuine question)
Omar al-Bashir, Sudan. Age 62. In power since 1989.
Since February 2003, Bashir’s campaign of ethnic and religious persecution has killed at least 180,000 civilians in Darfur in western Sudan and driven 2 million people from their homes. The good news is that Bashir’s army and the Janjaweed militia that he supports have all but stopped burning down villages in Darfur. The bad news is why they’ve stopped: There are few villages left to burn. The attacks now are aimed at refugee camps. While the media have called these actions “a humanitarian tragedy,” Bashir himself has escaped major condemnation. In 2005, Bashir signed a peace agreement with the largest rebel group in non-Islamic southern Sudan and allowed its leader, John Garang, to become the nation’s vice president. But Garang died in July in a helicopter crash, and Bashir’s troops still occupy the south.
Kim Jong-il, North Korea. Age 63. In power since 1994.
While the outside world focuses on Kim Jong-il’s nuclear weapons program, domestically he runs the world’s most tightly controlled society. North Korea continues to rank last in the index of press freedom compiled by Reporters Without Borders, and for the 34th straight year it earned the worst possible score on political rights and civil liberties from Freedom House. An estimated 250,000 people are confined in “reeducation camps.” Malnourishment is widespread: According to the United Nations World Food Program, the average 7-year-old boy in North Korea is almost 8 inches shorter than a South Korean boy the same age and more than 20 pounds lighter.
Than Shwe, Burma (Myanmar). Age 72. In power since 1992.
In November 2005, without warning, Than Shwe moved his entire government from Rangoon (Yangon), the capital for the last 120 years, to Pyinmana, a remote area 245 miles away. Civil servants were given two days’ notice and are forbidden from resigning. Burma leads the world in the use of children as soldiers, and the regime is notorious for using forced labor on construction projects and as porters for the army in war zones. The long-standing house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and Than Shwe’s most feared opponent, recently was extended for six months. Just to drive near her heavily guarded home is to risk arrest.
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe. Age 81. In power since 1980.
Life in Zimbabwe has gone from bad to worse: It has the world’s highest inflation rate, 80% unemployment and an HIV/AIDS rate of more than 20%. Life expectancy has declined since 1988 from 62 to 38 years. Farming has collapsed since 2000, when Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms, giving most of them to political allies with no background in agriculture. In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Murambatsvina (Clean the Filth), the forcible eviction of some 700,000 people from their homes or businesses—“to restore order and sanity,” says the government. But locals say the reason was to forestall demonstrations as the economy deteriorates.
Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan. Age 67. In power since 1990.
Until 2005, the worst excesses of Karimov’s regime had taken place in the torture rooms of his prisons. But on May 13, he ordered a mass killing that could not be concealed. In the city of Andijan, 23 businessmen, held in prison and awaiting a verdict, were freed by their supporters, who then held an open meeting in the town square. An estimated 10,000 people gathered, expecting government officials to come and listen to their grievances. Instead, Karimov sent the army, which massacred hundreds of men, women and children. A 2003 law made Karimov and all members of his family immune from prosecution forever.
Hu Jintao, China. Age 63. In power since 2002.
Although some Chinese have taken advantage of economic liberalization to become rich, up to 150 million Chinese live on $1 a day or less in this nation with no minimum wage. Between 250,000 and 300,000 political dissidents are held in “reeducation-through-labor” camps without trial. Less than 5% of criminal trials include witnesses, and the conviction rate is 99.7%. There are no privately owned TV or radio stations. The government opens and censors mail and monitors phone calls, faxes, e-mails and text messages. In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, at least 400,000 residents of Beijing have been forcibly evicted from their homes.
King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia. Age 82. In power since 1995.
Although Abdullah did not become king until 2005, he has ruled Saudi Arabia since his half-brother, Fahd, suffered a stroke 10 years earlier. In Saudi Arabia, phone calls are recorded and mobile phones with cameras are banned. It is illegal for public employees “to engage in dialogue with local and foreign media.” By law, all Saudi citizens must be Muslims. According to Amnesty International, police in Saudi Arabia routinely use torture to extract “confessions.” Saudi women may not appear in public with a man who isn’t a relative, must cover their bodies and faces in public and may not drive. The strict suppression of women is not voluntary, and Saudi women who would like to live a freer life are not allowed to do so.
Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan. Age 65. In power since 1990.
Niyazov has created the world’s most pervasive personality cult, and criticism of any of his policies is considered treason. The latest examples of his government-by-whim include bans on car radios, lip-synching and playing recorded music on TV or at weddings. Niyazov also has closed all national parks and shut down rural libraries. He launched an attack on his nation’s health-care system, firing 15,000 health-care workers and replacing most of them with untrained military conscripts. He announced the closing of all hospitals outside the capital and ordered Turkmenistan’s physicians to give up the Hippocratic Oath and to swear allegiance to him instead.
Seyed Ali Khamane’i, Iran. Age 66. In power since 1989.
Over the past four years, the rulers of Iran have undone the reforms that were emerging in the nation. The hardliners completed this reversal by winning the parliamentary elections in 2004 —after disqualifying 44% of the candidates—and with the presidential election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2005. Ultimately, however, the country is run by the 12-man Guardian Council, overseen by the Ayatollah Khamane’i, which has the right to veto any law that the elected government passes. Khamane’i has shut down the free press, tortured journalists and ordered the execution of homosexual males.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Equatorial Guinea. Age 63. In power since 1979.
Obiang took power in this tiny West African nation by overthrowing his uncle more than 25 years ago. According to a United Nations inspector, torture “is the normal means of investigation” in Equatorial Guinea. There is no freedom of speech, and there are no bookstores or newsstands. The one private radio station is owned by Obiang’s son. Since major oil reserves were discovered in Equatorial Guinea in 1995, Obiang has deposited more than $700 million into special accounts in U.S. banks. Meanwhile, most of his people live on less than $1 a day.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria Age 40. In power since 2000.
A former ophthamology student, in 2000 Bashar inherited power from his father, who had ruled Syria for 29 years. Recently the Syrian government has received international condemnation for its presumed involvement in the assassination of the ex-prime minister of neighboring Lebanon. In Syria itself, “emergency rule” has been in effect since 1963. Amnesty International has documented 38 different types of torture that have been used in Syria in recent years.
King Mswati III, Swaziland Age 37. In power since 1986.
Africa’s last remaining absolute monarch, Mswati III took power at the age of 18. Since then he has allowed his country to slide into extreme poverty, with 69% of the Swazi people living on less than $1 a day. Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world: almost 40%. The country has operated without a constitution for 30 years. Mswati has agreed to implement a new one in 2006, however, it bans political parties, gives Mswati the right to reject any laws passed by the legislature and grants him immunity against all possible crimes.
Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya. Age 63. In power since 1969.
Qaddafi has made his peace with the outside world by renouncing his quest for weapons of mass destruction and opening his oil fields to foreign companies. But domestically he continues to operate a brutal regime. According to the U.S. Department of State, at least 10% of the population is engaged in surveillance of the other 90%. Libyan law provides for collective punishment in which the relatives, friends and even neighbors of someone found guilty of a crime can also be punished. Criticizing Qaddafi is considered a crime punishable by death.
Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus. Age 51. In power since 1994.
Europe’s last dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko was elected Belarus’ first president after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Since then he has rewritten the constitution to allow him to appoint all 110 members of the upper house of the legislature, and he has harassed his opponents, sometimes having them arrested on live television. He also has mandated a return to Communist-style “mutual surveillance,” encouraging workers to use “trouble telephones” to inform on one another. It is against the law to criticize him.
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan ge 62. In power since 1999.
General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a military coup that overthrew an elected government. He appointed himself president of Pakistan in 2001 and then attempted to legitimize his rule by staging an election in 2002. However, the election did not come close to meeting international standards. Musharraf agreed to step down as head of the military but then changed his mind, claiming that the nation needed to unify its political and military elements and that he could provide this unity. He justified his decision by stating, “I think the country is more important than democracy.” Prior to September 11, 2001, Musharraf was an ardent supporter of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime.
Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia Age 50. In power since 1995.
Following a disputed election in May 2005, Zenawi’s forces shot to death several dozen unarmed demonstrators and detained more than 10,000 political opponents. Zenawi had agreed to a mediated solution to his border dispute with Eritrea. But when the United Nations boundary commission ruled against him, he refused to comply with its decision.
Most Supporters of the Regime change in Iraqi site that as the reason the US went in there in the first place, now all the other reasons have been found out to be false. My question the is:
Explain to me why these guys haven't been removed from office. Some of the crimes make Saddam look like the tooth fairy. Quite allot of them are "allies" of the west these days. Some were put there by the CIA, some supported the Taliban like Pakistan, who is now an Alie in the "war on terror".
If this new tactic of removal of bad dictators is the New USA foreign policy....as some posters would lead us to believe........... who's next? Remember though, the new rules mean you can't go in to countries to control their assets and natural resources. Has to be because they are "very very naughty boys"
(I posted these bad boys in another thread. This time its to ask a genuine question)
Omar al-Bashir, Sudan. Age 62. In power since 1989.
Since February 2003, Bashir’s campaign of ethnic and religious persecution has killed at least 180,000 civilians in Darfur in western Sudan and driven 2 million people from their homes. The good news is that Bashir’s army and the Janjaweed militia that he supports have all but stopped burning down villages in Darfur. The bad news is why they’ve stopped: There are few villages left to burn. The attacks now are aimed at refugee camps. While the media have called these actions “a humanitarian tragedy,” Bashir himself has escaped major condemnation. In 2005, Bashir signed a peace agreement with the largest rebel group in non-Islamic southern Sudan and allowed its leader, John Garang, to become the nation’s vice president. But Garang died in July in a helicopter crash, and Bashir’s troops still occupy the south.
Kim Jong-il, North Korea. Age 63. In power since 1994.
While the outside world focuses on Kim Jong-il’s nuclear weapons program, domestically he runs the world’s most tightly controlled society. North Korea continues to rank last in the index of press freedom compiled by Reporters Without Borders, and for the 34th straight year it earned the worst possible score on political rights and civil liberties from Freedom House. An estimated 250,000 people are confined in “reeducation camps.” Malnourishment is widespread: According to the United Nations World Food Program, the average 7-year-old boy in North Korea is almost 8 inches shorter than a South Korean boy the same age and more than 20 pounds lighter.
Than Shwe, Burma (Myanmar). Age 72. In power since 1992.
In November 2005, without warning, Than Shwe moved his entire government from Rangoon (Yangon), the capital for the last 120 years, to Pyinmana, a remote area 245 miles away. Civil servants were given two days’ notice and are forbidden from resigning. Burma leads the world in the use of children as soldiers, and the regime is notorious for using forced labor on construction projects and as porters for the army in war zones. The long-standing house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and Than Shwe’s most feared opponent, recently was extended for six months. Just to drive near her heavily guarded home is to risk arrest.
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe. Age 81. In power since 1980.
Life in Zimbabwe has gone from bad to worse: It has the world’s highest inflation rate, 80% unemployment and an HIV/AIDS rate of more than 20%. Life expectancy has declined since 1988 from 62 to 38 years. Farming has collapsed since 2000, when Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms, giving most of them to political allies with no background in agriculture. In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Murambatsvina (Clean the Filth), the forcible eviction of some 700,000 people from their homes or businesses—“to restore order and sanity,” says the government. But locals say the reason was to forestall demonstrations as the economy deteriorates.
Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan. Age 67. In power since 1990.
Until 2005, the worst excesses of Karimov’s regime had taken place in the torture rooms of his prisons. But on May 13, he ordered a mass killing that could not be concealed. In the city of Andijan, 23 businessmen, held in prison and awaiting a verdict, were freed by their supporters, who then held an open meeting in the town square. An estimated 10,000 people gathered, expecting government officials to come and listen to their grievances. Instead, Karimov sent the army, which massacred hundreds of men, women and children. A 2003 law made Karimov and all members of his family immune from prosecution forever.
Hu Jintao, China. Age 63. In power since 2002.
Although some Chinese have taken advantage of economic liberalization to become rich, up to 150 million Chinese live on $1 a day or less in this nation with no minimum wage. Between 250,000 and 300,000 political dissidents are held in “reeducation-through-labor” camps without trial. Less than 5% of criminal trials include witnesses, and the conviction rate is 99.7%. There are no privately owned TV or radio stations. The government opens and censors mail and monitors phone calls, faxes, e-mails and text messages. In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, at least 400,000 residents of Beijing have been forcibly evicted from their homes.
King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia. Age 82. In power since 1995.
Although Abdullah did not become king until 2005, he has ruled Saudi Arabia since his half-brother, Fahd, suffered a stroke 10 years earlier. In Saudi Arabia, phone calls are recorded and mobile phones with cameras are banned. It is illegal for public employees “to engage in dialogue with local and foreign media.” By law, all Saudi citizens must be Muslims. According to Amnesty International, police in Saudi Arabia routinely use torture to extract “confessions.” Saudi women may not appear in public with a man who isn’t a relative, must cover their bodies and faces in public and may not drive. The strict suppression of women is not voluntary, and Saudi women who would like to live a freer life are not allowed to do so.
Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan. Age 65. In power since 1990.
Niyazov has created the world’s most pervasive personality cult, and criticism of any of his policies is considered treason. The latest examples of his government-by-whim include bans on car radios, lip-synching and playing recorded music on TV or at weddings. Niyazov also has closed all national parks and shut down rural libraries. He launched an attack on his nation’s health-care system, firing 15,000 health-care workers and replacing most of them with untrained military conscripts. He announced the closing of all hospitals outside the capital and ordered Turkmenistan’s physicians to give up the Hippocratic Oath and to swear allegiance to him instead.
Seyed Ali Khamane’i, Iran. Age 66. In power since 1989.
Over the past four years, the rulers of Iran have undone the reforms that were emerging in the nation. The hardliners completed this reversal by winning the parliamentary elections in 2004 —after disqualifying 44% of the candidates—and with the presidential election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2005. Ultimately, however, the country is run by the 12-man Guardian Council, overseen by the Ayatollah Khamane’i, which has the right to veto any law that the elected government passes. Khamane’i has shut down the free press, tortured journalists and ordered the execution of homosexual males.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Equatorial Guinea. Age 63. In power since 1979.
Obiang took power in this tiny West African nation by overthrowing his uncle more than 25 years ago. According to a United Nations inspector, torture “is the normal means of investigation” in Equatorial Guinea. There is no freedom of speech, and there are no bookstores or newsstands. The one private radio station is owned by Obiang’s son. Since major oil reserves were discovered in Equatorial Guinea in 1995, Obiang has deposited more than $700 million into special accounts in U.S. banks. Meanwhile, most of his people live on less than $1 a day.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria Age 40. In power since 2000.
A former ophthamology student, in 2000 Bashar inherited power from his father, who had ruled Syria for 29 years. Recently the Syrian government has received international condemnation for its presumed involvement in the assassination of the ex-prime minister of neighboring Lebanon. In Syria itself, “emergency rule” has been in effect since 1963. Amnesty International has documented 38 different types of torture that have been used in Syria in recent years.
King Mswati III, Swaziland Age 37. In power since 1986.
Africa’s last remaining absolute monarch, Mswati III took power at the age of 18. Since then he has allowed his country to slide into extreme poverty, with 69% of the Swazi people living on less than $1 a day. Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world: almost 40%. The country has operated without a constitution for 30 years. Mswati has agreed to implement a new one in 2006, however, it bans political parties, gives Mswati the right to reject any laws passed by the legislature and grants him immunity against all possible crimes.
Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya. Age 63. In power since 1969.
Qaddafi has made his peace with the outside world by renouncing his quest for weapons of mass destruction and opening his oil fields to foreign companies. But domestically he continues to operate a brutal regime. According to the U.S. Department of State, at least 10% of the population is engaged in surveillance of the other 90%. Libyan law provides for collective punishment in which the relatives, friends and even neighbors of someone found guilty of a crime can also be punished. Criticizing Qaddafi is considered a crime punishable by death.
Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus. Age 51. In power since 1994.
Europe’s last dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko was elected Belarus’ first president after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Since then he has rewritten the constitution to allow him to appoint all 110 members of the upper house of the legislature, and he has harassed his opponents, sometimes having them arrested on live television. He also has mandated a return to Communist-style “mutual surveillance,” encouraging workers to use “trouble telephones” to inform on one another. It is against the law to criticize him.
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan ge 62. In power since 1999.
General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a military coup that overthrew an elected government. He appointed himself president of Pakistan in 2001 and then attempted to legitimize his rule by staging an election in 2002. However, the election did not come close to meeting international standards. Musharraf agreed to step down as head of the military but then changed his mind, claiming that the nation needed to unify its political and military elements and that he could provide this unity. He justified his decision by stating, “I think the country is more important than democracy.” Prior to September 11, 2001, Musharraf was an ardent supporter of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime.
Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia Age 50. In power since 1995.
Following a disputed election in May 2005, Zenawi’s forces shot to death several dozen unarmed demonstrators and detained more than 10,000 political opponents. Zenawi had agreed to a mediated solution to his border dispute with Eritrea. But when the United Nations boundary commission ruled against him, he refused to comply with its decision.