And Montenegro's President Milo Djukanovic, Mr Milosevic's boldest opponent, says that Serbia's isolation is pushing his own small republic down the path to secession.Sensing his vulnerability, Mr Milosevic has matched his apparent capitulation to NATO's demands with tougher repression at home.
Taking steps which reduce the Kim regime's paranoia and insecurity would eliminate one impetus for tougher repression.
"These people are used to 'the man' picking them up, bopping them on the head and giving them an attitude adjustment," Colonel Cloy said, alluding to a decade of tough Serbian police repression of the Albanians after Mr. Milosevic revoked Kosovo's autonomy in 1989.
However, that is harder now due to anomic working conditions in which unions are tough to organise and police repression is intense.
Analysts are convinced that behind the scenes the Iranians are pushing for a tough line, suggesting that their repression of the 2009 democracy protests in Iran is the model to follow.
The United States increased pressure today on the military junta in Myanmar, as Congress moved to enact tough penalties and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said the repression of democracy advocates "will not be allowed to stand".
Mr. Gbagbo's control over fiercely loyal elite units like the Republican Guard, a force of about 1,000 to 1,500 soldiers that has been central in the current wave of repression against opponents, would make him a tough match militarily.
The report, entitled "Generation Jail," said Egypt's tough antiprotest law was wielded as a means of mass repression.
Mr. Basri was considered King Hassan II's tough right hand, his iron fist, keeping order through wide-scale detentions, repression and prison torture.
Hyperinflation, corruption and political repression may be mostly consigned to the past - but they are tough stains to remove from the country's reputation.
