Originally posted by DVPGSR
I would not say that we installed Thieu, rather we backed his government due to its anti-Communist fever and war against the Communist North. I believe it was actually the French that orchestrated his rise to power, but I may be mistaken. I would use the term "propped up" his government over "installed".
And yes he was assasinated.
Also, Kestrel, all the nations you mentioned their leaders were not installed by the US, rather they were once friendly nations whose governments we supported for a variety of reasons. If there is a leader that comes close to being installed it would be Hamid Karzai, but even at that he has been elected by his own people.
I thought he was installed, but really the point is the same. We supported an unpopular leader and messed with governments during the cold war in order to piss of the Soviet Union. The average citizens of those nations suffered during this period, and it makes sense that they would hate us.