| Once considered a Western-leaning international diplomat, Bouteflika came to reflect what Western foreign-policy analysts often call the "opaqueness" of Algeria, a U.S. ally with significant oil and anti-terrorism capabilities, as well as a secretive government and anti-democratic tendencies. He fought in his country's independence struggle against France and then maneuvered through coups, conflicts and political intrigue to rule Algeria for two decades until his resignation in 2019. | 
