Clients of Russia?

"“The Russians now consider President Assad a liability,” said Dimitri K. Simes, a Russia expert and president of the Center for the National Interest in Washington. “But Putin doesn’t like having his clients removed one after another by the United States, and he considers Assad his client.”"  So Mr. Smies: were Bin Ali, Mubarak, Salih, and Hamad all clients of Russia?  And when Qadhdhafi was overthrown, was he closer to US or to Russia? Enlighten us, please.