U.S. must stand firm against tyrants

While many question the firmness President Barack Obama used in dealing with the Egyptian tyrant, Hosni Mubarak, it is refreshing to see someone defend the principles of our great country. Peter Goldmark's "Obama's step for Egyptian freedom" [Opinion, Feb. 6], describes unwavering United States support for cruel dictators including the shah of Iran, Indonesia's Suharto and Haiti's Duvalier family, and the disastrous consequences of our actions.

In Iran we supported the usurping shah, who amassed great wealth at the expense of his own people who suffered in poverty. The result was sheer hatred for the United States and the birth of a militant theocracy that now denies the Holocaust. Can we call this sound foreign policy?

In Haiti, amidst a devastating earthquake, lifesaving support from the United States is looked upon warily, due to our alliance with those who plundered the innocents of this island nation like Jean-Claude Duvalier and Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Unless we stand firm against these tyrants, we will continue to devalue our own democracy in the eyes of their citizens.

Jordan, Saudi Arabia and even distant Pakistan may fall prey to the mullahs who assert that we feed this tyranny. Our only defense against this mullah ranting is to stand firm as a bastion of democracy, not hypocrisy.

Irfan A. Alladin

Syosset