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Why did the U.S. support the Khmer Rouge government in Cambodia when it was threatened by Vietnam?

1. The U.S. did not know about the Khmer Rouge's genocide.
2. The government Vietnam supported in Cambodia was communist.
3. Most Cambodians did not want the Vietnamese-supported government.
4. Moderate elements of the Khmer Rouge were trying to establish a democratic government.

Answer :

The U.S. supported the Khmer Rouge primarily to oppose Soviet-backed Vietnamese influence, a stance influenced by Cold War dynamics.

The U.S. support for the Khmer Rouge government in Cambodia, even after its brutality was recognized, was influenced by geopolitical strategies during the Cold War. After the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia in 1975 and committed a genocidal campaign, the Vietnamese invasion in 1978 ousted them; however, Vietnam was supported by the USSR. Given the U.S.'s opposition to the spread of communism and the Soviet influence, the U.S. found itself in a position where backing the Khmer Rouge, despite their atrocities, aligned with the larger strategy of opposing Soviet-supported expansion in Southeast Asia.

The primary reason for the U.S. support pertained to the Cold War dynamics rather than a belief in the Khmer Rouge's return to a democratic path or unawareness of their genocidal acts. In essence, the enemy of their enemy seemed a viable ally against the spread of Soviet-backed influence. Thus, the most accurate answer to the question is that the government Vietnam supported in Cambodia was communist, and the U.S. wanted to counteract the influence of the USSR in the region.

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