Sentence:  The dispatches... also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies. Having lectured the Arab world about democracy for years, its collusion in suppressing freedom was undeniable as protesters were <WSD>met</WSD> by weaponry and tear gas made in the west, employed by a military trained by westerners. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To come together in conflict.