FNF News | U.S. Foreign Policy & Middle East Affairs
Published: June 20, 2025
By: Khadija Khan, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
“A Fascist Police State Draped in Democratic Language”: U.S. Middle East Alliances Under Fire
Doha, Qatar — As American officials continue to tout their “unshakable commitment to democracy” in the Middle East, critics at home and abroad are increasingly asking: What democracy? Whose liberty? And why is the U.S. still arming, defending, and financially supporting some of the most repressive regimes in the Arab world?
To some observers, the contradiction is not just inconvenient — it’s indefensible.
“Sounds like a fascist police state, not a shining beam of democracy among authoritarian Arabs,” said one viral commentator this week, responding to reports of expanded U.S. cooperation with Gulf monarchies and increased intelligence sharing with regimes known for detaining dissidents, stoning women, and crushing protests.
Authoritarian Allies with American Endorsements
Take Saudi Arabia, for instance — a country where political parties are banned, women only recently obtained the right to drive, and critics of the regime face public floggings, long-term imprisonment, or worse. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, was widely accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Yet in 2024, the U.S. finalized over $8.2 billion in arms sales to Riyadh, citing “regional stability.”
In the United Arab Emirates, where a single royal family controls all levers of power, American tech companies and military bases thrive. Political prisoners, including peaceful activists, remain detained without trial for years. Even Israel, a supposed bastion of regional democracy, faces international scrutiny for its surveillance practices, use of Pegasus spyware, and controversial treatment of Palestinian civilians.
“We’re propping up regimes that spy, censor, and punish dissent,” said Dr. Noura Erakat, professor of international law at Rutgers. “We’re not exporting democracy. We’re renting it — selectively.”
A Tale of Two Speeches
In 2023, President Biden gave a speech in Philadelphia warning of the “threat of authoritarianism” and calling democracy “a sacred cause.” Just months later, his administration expanded military cooperation with Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has jailed over 60,000 political prisoners, including American citizens, according to Human Rights Watch.
The U.S. gave Egypt over $1.3 billion in aid last year.
“Our Middle East policy is schizophrenic,” said former Pentagon analyst Andrew Bacevich. “We denounce autocrats at home while enabling them abroad.”
The Real Reason: Oil, Iran, and Israel
Analysts widely agree that U.S. support for authoritarian regimes is not about values, but strategic interests. The main pillars:
- Countering Iran
- Ensuring energy market stability
- Supporting Israel’s regional dominance
This often means tolerating — or even strengthening — anti-democratic governments so long as they oppose Tehran or keep oil flowing. In return, these regimes offer land for U.S. bases, arms deals, and covert intelligence cooperation.
But the human cost is profound.
- In Bahrain, protests for democracy were violently crushed in 2011 with Saudi help and U.S. silence.
- In Qatar, where the U.S. maintains its largest base in the region, migrant labor abuses still draw criticism from the UN.
- In Jordan, crackdowns on press freedom have intensified alongside increases in U.S. aid.
Exporting Freedom or Preserving Power?
U.S. officials continue to frame their Middle East policies as part of a broader “freedom agenda.” But to those living under surveillance, censorship, and repression, that rhetoric rings hollow.
“Democracy is not a drone strike,” said journalist Mehdi Hasan. “You can’t say you care about freedom while training police forces that torture people for tweeting.”
In some ways, the U.S. has built a network of cooperative dictators across the Arab world — many of whom use American resources to suppress their own citizens in exchange for geopolitical loyalty.
Conclusion: The Beam of Democracy Is Dimmer Than It Appears
While American politicians speak of liberty, equality, and self-determination, the record tells a more complicated story. By embracing authoritarian regimes under the guise of “stability” and “strategic alliances,” the U.S. risks not only hypocrisy, but losing moral credibility on the world stage.
If democracy is to mean more than a slogan, then it must apply universally — not only when convenient.