On the other side of the argument, anti-Communists in the United States and elsewhere saw in the rule of the Khmer Rouge vindication of their belief that the victory of communist governments in Southeast Asia would lead to a "bloodbath".
Di sisi lain, anti-Komunis di Amerika Serikat dan lainnya memandang peran Khmer Merah dari kepercayaan mereka bahwa kemenangan pemerintah komunis di Asia Tenggara berujung pada "mandi darah".