A survey of articles about Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria’s first premier (1962-66). The American press did not understand the nationalist leader and, therefore, often misinterpreted him. The American liberal press, such as The Nation and The New Republic, was consistently sympathetic to him and his emergent nation. But the conservative journals, such as The National Review and U.S. News and World Report, were often hostile, viewing Ben Bella as the Castro of Africa, who would spread subversion on that continent. The moderate press, especially Time, Life, Newsweek, The Reporter, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic Monthly, also seemed to settle on the assessment that Ben Bella was a new Castro, as well as a tool of Moscow. Both conservatives and moderates rejoiced when he was ousted in 1965.
