Defiance Surprises a New U.S. Ally (washingtonpost.com)

"It's the old policy of the West -- okay, he's a tyrant but he's our tyrant," said Eldar Namazov, director of the Public Forum for Azerbaijan and a former top aide to Aliyev. "For many post-Soviet leaders, a pro-Western policy is like a trade with the West. 'Okay, I'll conduct a pro-Western policy, but you should close your eyes on corruption, violation of human rights.' They think the only thing that's changed in this country is that the Politburo has been moved from Moscow to Washington."