In case you missed it, here's Parade's annual list of the world's 20 worst dictators, culled in part from reports from the following organizations: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
Of the more than 70 countries designated as being ruled by dictators, the following leaders were considered the 20 worst. Some have retained their rank, some have shifted position and some were removed. It was decided not to list Fidel Castro (Cuba), who was ranked number 15 in 2006, after he stepped aside on July 31, 2006 and his brother Raul took over; or Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan) who died in December, 2006. And joining the ranks, this year are Hosni Mubarak (Egypt) and Vladimir Putin (Russia) along with a few other newcomers. For more details on the reasons why they were chosen click here. The list was researched and compiled by Contributing Editor of Parade, David Wallechinsky.
And the winners are:
1. Omar al-Bashir (Sudan) in power since 1989; (#1 in '06)
2. Kim Jong-Il (N. Korea) in power since 1994; (#2 in '06)
3. Sayyid Ali Khamenei (Iran) in power since 1989; (#9 in '06)
4. Hu Jinatao (China) in power since 2002; (#6 in '06)
5. King Abdullah (Saudi Arabia) in power since 1995; (#7 in '06)
6. Than Shwe (Burma aka Myanmar) in power since 1992; (#3 in '06)
7. Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) in power since 1980; (#4 in '06)
8. Islam Karimov (Uzbekistan) in power since 1989; (#5 in '06)
9. Muammar al-Qaddafi (Libya) in power since 1969; (#11 in '06)
10. Bashar al-Assad (Syria) in power since 2000; (#16 in '06)
11. Teodoro Obiang Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) in power since 1979; (#10 in '06)
12. King Mswati III (Swaziland) in power since 1986; (#12 in '06)
13. Isaias Afewerki (Eritrea) in power since 1991; (#13 in '06)
14. Aleksandr Lukashenko (Belarus) in power since 1994; (#14 in '06)
15. Pervez Musharraf (Pakistan) in power since 1999; (#17 in '06)
16. Choummaly Sayasone (Laos) in power since 2006; (ranked in '06)
17. Meles Zenawi (Ethiopia) in power since 1995; (#18 in '06)
18. Hosni Mubarak (Egypt) in power since 1981; (not ranked in '06)
19. Paul Biya (Cameroon) in power since 1982; (not ranked in '06)
20. Vladimir Putin (Russia) in power since 1999; (not ranked in '06)
8 comments:
Something I like about the States - they are actually doing something (or trying to) about these nutcases.
Except for... your old friends at....Number 5.
Guess you can't win 'em all. Some are a little more wacko than the others, but they're all troublesome for their people. And glad you found something you could like about us. :-)
And unfortunately, lots of countries are 'old friends' with #5.
So how come you use "Purist", Lambent?
I can't use Lambent anymore. In a meeting the other day my boss asked me if I knew what Lambent meant. This was a his little way of telling me that he's been reading my blog and I'd better stop writing it.
Didn't I say this in a previous comment? Maybe I forgot.
Anyway, Purist was the first word that came to my head whilst reading your blog the other day:)
Happy Valentine's - I snogged a conservative last night. I should be outside licking up puddles to get the foul taste out of my mouth:)
Why isn't my second wife on this list?
Oh, oh... too much time on the computer at work Lambent? They have software to track that type of thing.
No, don't recall you explaining the name change but Purist was the first name you used, prior to revealing Lambent.
And thank you dear, for the V Day wish. As for the conservative, well, you must either be a masochist or a closet conservative yourself, in denial. :-)
Cheers
And so sorry Bert to hear your 2nd wife didn't make it on the list. Maybe you can contact Parade and see if they will include her in next year's listing.
Does this mean you are on your 3rd?
Funny. They left George W. Bush off the list. He certainly deserves a spot.
Oh for goodness sakes Anon. Look up the def. of Dictator. You might call Bush many things but Dictator is *not* one of them. The same goes for "another Hitler" "Satan" and all the other truly lame epithets that people love to heap upon the man.
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