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Outposts of Tyranny

America's "Most Wanted" List

By Keith Porter, About.com

In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George Bush referred to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as "...an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."

Much has changed since then. The United States has changed the political face of Iraq, North Korea has tested a nuclear weapon, and Iran has left the world guessing about its nuclear intentions. Meanwhile, new threats to global peace and security have emerged.

So when Condoleeza Rice appeared at her Senate confirmation hearings to become Secretary of State, the time was ripe to drop a new moniker on the bad guys. She said, "To be sure, in our world there remain outposts of tyranny -- and America stands with oppressed people on every continent -- in Cuba, and Burma, and North Korea, and Iran, and Belarus, and Zimbabwe."

So what is it about these nations which cause them to rise to the top of America's most wanted list? Here are some resources on each:

Bubbling Under


Surely there is more tyranny and injustice in the world than what can be claimed by those six countries. How about these:

More Resources


Here are some other background resources on the "Outposts of Tyranny":

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