article_snippet: Dictatorships were tolerated for decades despite Dictatorships cruelty because Dictatorships served Western economic, political, and security interests.
article_snippet: In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak was seen as the bulwark of peace with Israel.
article_snippet: In Libya, a reformed Moammar Gadhafi was courted for potential investment and trade agreements.
article_snippet: In Syria, Bashar al-Assad was a predictable leader who maintained the Golan Heights as a conflict-free zone.
article_snippet: Dictatorships kept the status quo manageable.
article_snippet: Government suppression of activism and of the alternative voices of civil society and independent media meant that top-down decisions were rarely contested.
article_snippet: This pretty much guaranteed that Western interests would be served without too many complications.
article_snippet: In return, Arab dictators enjoyed Western financial and military aid and political reassurances.