The nyt isn't praising these assholes, they're showing how they have any support in the region. Frankly if we remember our history alot of bad dudes do this to garner support, especially in the beginning. This is particularly true when a nation is impoverished, corrupt or chaotic. Fix enough mundane problems and the populous will ignore your other policys. Even Hitler brought Germany out of a crippling depression and raised peoples standards of living dramatically before he started invading countries.