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By now it's been well publicized that Russia's has made friends with Venezuela's leader, Hugo Chavez, and with Iran's leader Ahmadinejad.

Let's look a little closer at Russia's Friends:

• Venezuela's Hugo Chavez
  • Has recently closed 32 privately owned radio stations and two television broadcasters while supporting legislation that would create prison sentences for people who commit "media crimes," those that criticize his government.
  • Chavez denied a license renewal in 2007 to a broadcaster that cooperated with the opposition during the 2006 Presidential election.
  • Chavez's goal can be described as a three-point strategy: To control the flow of information, stop critical reports and disseminate pro-government propaganda.

   

• Iran and Ahmadinejad
  • A newspaper aligned with Iranian reformist Mehdi Karrubi, who recently made headlines for claims that post-election detainees in Iran were raped behind bars, was ordered closed for what has been described as "publishing unlawful and criminal material.
  • Iran crushed the protests of it's people during the aftermath of the Islamic republic's disputed June 12 election.
  • Ahmadinejad's choice for defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, is wanted by Interpol on terrorism charges.

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  "There can be no freedom of expression, or even democracy, in the absence of media pluralism."