All this stuff finally came in the mail today. The books from Amazon.com, both of which you can order on the left hand side. The other shipment was from an Ebay seller, directly from Ukraine.

I finally got a Yuschenko TAK! scarf!

Now, before I go to bed, I would like to give a special shout-out to Bryan McRoberts. Starting on March 15, Lebanonwire.com will become available by subscription only, and he donated money to me so that I could subscribe and continue to bring the latest news from that region to you all. He and his family definitely have the love of this crazy political circle!

Kyrgyzstan is facing a run-off after a majority of seats failed to acquire an absolute majority of the votes:

MOSCOW. Feb. 28. — A majority of the seats in Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary elections Sunday were forced into a second round of voting when the contests failed to produce absolute majorities for candidates, according to preliminary results released Monday in the capital, Bishkek. That leaves the Central Asian republic to face another period of high political tension around the March 13 runoffs.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Monday the vote “fell short” of international standards for democratic elections, citing, among other problems, an uneasy atmosphere heightened by government attempts to label the opposition as extremists and raise the specter of civil war.

“These elections were more competitive than previous ones, but sadly this was undermined by vote buying, de-registration of candidates, interference with media and a worryingly low confidence in judicial and electoral institutions on the part of voters and candidates,” said Kimmo Kiljunen, who oversaw the organization’s 200 short-term election monitors.

More criticism of the vote here. Nathan has the rest, and I’ll continue to notify you as he updates the situation.

CIS monitors found the Tajik elections free and fair while the OSCE says otherwise.

Ben Morgan from Swarthmore College’s War News Radio program contacted me via email and is going to do a phone interview in about an hour. It sounds like a load of fun, I’ve never done that before. So hey, if anyone else wants to interrogate me, by all means, email me!

UPDATE: Alright, interview is over. I think I may have been a bit long-winded on some things, but interesting nonetheless. I’ll let you know when a web feed is available.

Back from the school. Now here’s what I’ve got from Instapundit. I’m trying to get as much insight and information in here as possible so here we go. So far there is Ed Morrissey, Sissy Willis, and Jim Geraghty who are all talking about it. Keep watching Tony as well. Michael Ubaldi has just informed me that he’s merged all his Lebanon commentary into one useful category. Check that out.

The Belgravia Dispatch has an email from Beirut, check that out. Oxblog notes that the New York Times has embraced the Bush Doctrine as so many of us did before it was cool.

More pictures from BBC.

And the White House has made its stance clear:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House welcomed the resignation of pro-Syrian Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karameh saying it should pave the way for elections and a new government that was “truly representative.”

White House spokesman Scott McClellan also repeated a call for Syrian troops to leave Lebanon.

“We are closely watching developments with great interest,” he told reporters.

“The resignation of the Karameh government represents an opportunity for the Lebanese people to have a new government which is truly representative of their country’s diversity,” McClellan said.

“The new government will have the responsibility to implement free and fair elections that the Lebanese people have clearly demonstrated they desire,” McClellan added.

“The process of (forming) a new government should proceed in accordance with the Lebanese constitution and should be free of all foreign interference,” the White House spokesman said.

“It is time for Syria to fully comply with United Nations (news - web sites) Security Council resolution 1559 that means that Syria military forces and intelligence personnel leave the country,” he said. “That will help to ensure that elections are free and fair.”

Rich is warning to be skeptical of Syria in the coming days, and to watch their every move in Lebanon.

EXCERPTS: Lebanonwire has excerpts for the now ex-PM’s remarks to parliament before resigning.

At Bloggledygook I have a post on Walid Jumblatt, sometime raving conspiracy theorist, sometime pragmatic politician, sometime pan-Arab nationalist. This person will likely be a prominent figure in coming events in Lebanon.

Jumblatt has acted at times as one of Syria’s most vocal critics but seemed to come back into the fold when the US invaded Iraq. The big break came when he opposed the extension of Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud’s term. Now that he was deemed to be less than friendly, Jumblatt believes he was fingered for assassination. The killing of Hariri confirmed his suspicions.

It would be a mistake to think that now that Jumblatt has changed his mind again that this will be the last time that he switches sides. However, with events in Lebanon happening at an increased pace, Jumblatt may have his chance to change the course of his country’s future. It may be, for now at least, that he sees that future as being tied to US interests in the region.

UPDATE: Jumblatt Hails Government’s Resignation

“The people have been victorious but we should now form an impartial government to supervise the elections” due by the end of May, he said.

But Jumblat also called for the anti-Damascus camp to avoid “chauvinist slogans against Syria, with whom we are determined to have healthy relations.”

He is making all the right moves, saying all the right things.

I wonder what Vaclav Havel is thinking right now.

The AP and Fox News are reporting that Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami has announced his government’s resignation in parliament. No link yet.

This came before the debate on a no-confidence vote was to begin.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE:

Boston Herald:

Karami made the announcement during a parliamentary debate called to discuss Hariri’s Feb. 14 assassination in a bomb blast that killed 16 others. The announcement prompted cheers from more than 25,000 flag-waving demonstrators protesting against the government and its Syrian backers outside.
The resignation was the most dramatic moment yet in the series of protests and political maneuvers that have shaken Lebanon since Hariri’s killing.
Many in Lebanon blame Syria for being behind Hariri’s slaying and have pressed hard since then for the resignation of the pro-Syrian Lebanese government and for Syria to withdraw its 15,000 troops positioned in Lebanon.
Both governments have denied involvement in Hariri’s assassination.
Earlier Monday, Karami asked the legislature to renew its confidence in his Cabinet, which took power in October after Hariri’s resignation in a dispute with Syria, the main power broker in Lebanon.

Reuters:

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon’s Syrian-backed Prime Minister Omar Karami, under popular pressure after the assassination of an ex-prime minister, says his government is resigning.

“Out of concern that the government does not become an obstacle to the good of the country, I announce the resignation of the government I had the honour to lead,” Karami told parliament in Beirut on Monday.

Ah, the sweet music of democratic revolution!

UPDATE II: From Khaleej Times:

The announcement of the government????????s resignation came after a day of protests in Martyr????????s Square, a few blocks from parliament. The protesters danced to patriotic songs, waved hundreds of Lebanese flags, and handed out red roses to the hundreds of soldiers and police around them.

Led by banking and business associations, much of Lebanon also observed a one-day strike in memory of Hariri on Monday, allowing lawyers in black robes and doctors in white gowns to join the demonstration.

Protesters also prayed in front of candles at the flower-covered grave of Hariri, which lies at the edge of the square.

???????You can tell from the looks in the soldiers???????? eyes, and from their smiles, their true stand,??????? said Hamadeh, who was in the square before going to parliament. Hamadeh himself was the target of a bomb attack in October that killed his driver.

Keep in mind that pictures of today’s events are being broadcast throughout the Middle East by al-Jazeera.

UPDATE III:

Hariri , Hamadeh Speak To Parliament

Parliament member Bahia Hariri won a standing ovation in parliament Monday as she held Karami’s government largely responsible for her brother Rafik Hariri’s assassination and demanded the immediate ouster of the government.

As most of parliament members applauded, tens of thousands of opposition activists maintaining a vigil at Hariri’s nearby grave burst in thunderous applaud as they watched through a giant screen at Martyrs Square Bahia Hariri’s moving speech inside parliament.

Legislator Marwan Hamadeh stole the limelight when he openly accused Karami’s government of acting only when it receives orders from Syria’s military intelligence chief in Lebanon Brig. Gen. Rustom Ghazaleh. “I don’t see a prime minister or cabinet minister on the government benches today. They simply don’t exist,” he said demanding that commanders of the Surete Generale, the military intelligence bureau and the state security apparatus be fired at once and brought to trial for complicity in the assassination of Rafik Hariri.

He also demanded the removal of President Lahoud’s regime. Hamadeh told cabinet ministers specially Justice Minister Adnan Addoum that the day will come “when we shall drag you to stand trial like Slobodan Milosevic.”

LEBANON ERUPTS INTO CELEBRATION:

BEIRUT, Feb 28 (AFP) - The Lebanese capital exploded in rapturous cheers on Monday as tens of thousands of demonstrators hailed the “people power” that led to the downfall of the government in the face of unprecedented public protests.

In scenes reminiscent of the “orange revolution” in Ukraine, Beirut was a sea of red and white Lebanese flags as Prime Minister Omar Karameh announced his resignation two weeks after his predecessor Rafiq Hariri was murdered.

“For the first time, Lebanese public opinion has won,” said Ghinwa Jallul, an MP with Hariri’s political bloc.

Demonstrators who have been staging almost daily protests against the regime and its Syrian backers since Hariri’s killing burst into boisterous applause as they watched Karameh’s announcement on a giant television screen.

Fireworks and car horns greeted the news around the capital and in other towns as people hugged each other, chanting triumphantly “he’s resigned, he’s resigned”.

“Karameh has fallen, your turn will come, Lahoud, and yours, Bashar,” the demonstrators chanted, referring to President Emile Lahoud and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

The crowds, estimated to number some 60,000, had defied a government ban on demonstrations and massed in the heart of Beirut as parliament held a special debate on Hariri’s murder in a huge February 14 bomb blast.

This, while Syria cuts off its own nose:

DAMASCUS, Feb 28 (AFP) - The resignation of Lebanon’s pro-Syrian government amid mass protests Monday was an “internal matter” for Beirut, a Syrian official said, while expressing hope it would help end the current crisis.

Damascus wanted to see “a new government emerge that is capable of advancing Lebanese affairs in the interests of the country and the region in the current extremely delicate circumstances,” the official said.

I will be updating this post throughout the day as events unfold. Don’t forget to check out the photos and videos of world-wide protests for this cause. Here are more pictures.

BLOGS TO CHECK OUT: Caveman in Beirut, Across the Bay, and Syria Comment.

The colors are red and white, in accordance with the nation’s flag — minus the green — and I have seen in a few places the term Cedar Revolution.

According to Lebanonwire, 10,000 people have poured into Martyr’s Square between late Sunday night and 5:00 this morning, despite a ban on protests:

BEIRUT, Feb 28 (AFP) - Two weeks after the assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, some 10,000 people massed in the streets of Beirut early Monday in defiance of a ban as the government faced a tough test in parliament where the opposition planned to present a censure motion to bring it down.

The Lebanese opposition vowed to defy the pro-Syrian regime on the streets and in parliament on Monday, amid claims of ministerial resignations, after a top US envoy upheld demands for an immediate Syrian troop pullout from Lebanon.

Waving the Lebanese flag and shouting “Syria out!” the protesters ignored a ban on demonstrations and converged on the central Martyrs’ Square as hundreds of heavily armed but good-natured troops aided by police deployed jeeps and trucks to the main crossroads leading to the square.

They continued the sit-in on Martyrs’ Square after 5:00 am (0300 GMT) despite the ban on protests, announced by Lebanese Interior Minister Suleiman Frangieh, coming into effect.

At 0300 GMT the opposition demonstrators sang the national anthem, as leading opposition figure Akram Shehayeb harangued the crowd and called on the watching soldiers to join the protest.

The pro-Syrian counter-protestors have called off their protest ahead of the government ban:

Pro-Syrian loyalist groups, represented by the Follow-up Committee for the Organization of Civil Society (COCS), who only announced their intention to organize a counter-demonstration against the opposition on Friday, said they would call off their protest “in compliance” with the government ban.

Pro-Syrian Beirut MP Nasser Qandil said: “We listened to the voice of reason and decided to call off the demonstration. We received telephone calls from prominent figures and religious leaders including Grand Mufti Mohammed Qabbani and former Premier Salim Hoss, who suggested we end any further escalation.”

The opposition has accused the government of mobilizing what it called a “loyalist mob” to create a climate of tension aimed at intimidating people.

Abdel-Malak said: “The government is stirring up troubles to blackmail the people and frighten them that a return of civil unrest and violence is imminent.”

I am glad that the opposition is not complying with the government, however. And the U.S. has said that the Lebanese government is insulting its people by suggesting there will be another civil war.

BREAKING THE BARRIERS:

Wave after wave of opposition activists punched through army cordons to join the running vigil at Hariri????????s gravesite Monday, brandishing a forest of Lebanese flags. Army troops looked the other way.
Each of the opposition legislators made an appearance at the gravesite sit-in before going to the parliament session. Among them were Marwan Hamadeh, Ghazi Aridi, Butros Harb as well as all members of Hariri????????s block. They all addressed the swelling crowds, vowing to press foreword with the newly declared ???????Independence Uprising???????? at all costs.
A shoulder-to-shoulder army barricade was seen stopping the influx of protestors at the Saifi entrance to the Martyrs Square only to allow the crowds to pass through in small batches. But there was no attempt by the military to turn back any protestors
Dory Chamoun????????s National Liberal Party, Samir Geagea????????s Lebanese Forces, Gen. Michel Aoun????????s Free Patriotic Movement sent huge crowds to join the sit-in on Hariri????????s gravesite, drawing thunderous applause from opposition factions of Cornet Shahwan and Hariri????????s Tayyar Al Mustaqbal
Opposition spokesmen addressing the crowds called on Hizbullah to end hesitant stance and take a ???????historic move toward joining the Independence Uprising???????
Legislator Walid Ido, who now heads Hariri????????s bloc in parliament has said the government is ???????already a decomposing corpse??????? whether or not it wins a vote of confidence. Fares Boueiz said if parliament votes yes to the Karami government, it will spell out the collapse of the last viable institution within the state of Lebanon. The presidency is gone, the prime ministry is gone, we don????????t want parliament to go, too, he said.
A huge crowd burst into the Martyrs Square from the Gemmayze entrance, waving portraits of Hariri, Bashir Gemayel, Kamal Jumblat, Rene Mouawad and Samir Geagea. Among this crowd were Gemayel????????s widow Solange and her son Nadim and Dory Chamoun of the National Liberal Party.

This is incredible. Verified here.

For more information about the Lebanese Forces, they have a forum that I have been visiting often. This is where they are organizing themselves, and in English no less. From what I have gathered from my reading, they are not particularly fond of Hariri, but they are so opposed to the pro-Syrian government that they are trying as best as possible to focus on the big picture instead of creating rifts with other opposition forces. That’s encouraging to hear. Here is their about page.

Keep in mind as more information becomes available that not only are ordinary Lebanese coming out for the protests, but the Lebanese economy has basically been shut down on the wills of the banking, business, and industrial leaders. Schools and universities will also be closed.

HIZBULLAH’S ROLE: Zeina Abu Rizk believes that Hizbullah will vote in favor of the government, something it has never done as a supposedly Lebanese organization, thus reaffirming that it is master-minded by Damascus and Tehran:

As Parliament convenes Monday to discuss former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination and most likely renews its confidence in the government, eyes are turned to Hizbullah, which has become the center of political polarization between the opposition and loyalists.

For the first time since its participation in Parliament in 1992, Hizbullah is expected to vote for the government, this time for purely “Syrian” reasons that have nothing to do with the Cabinet itself.

The party, which over a decade has either abstained or voted against the successive governments, will make a different choice Monday, amid a political battle whose real slogan is not the continuation of Prime Minister Omar Karami’s government, but the persistence of Syria’s hegemony over the country.

HARIRI: Interesting findings already being made in the case. In regards to this, Jumblatt is calling for a time table for withdrawal and insists that the protests will go on.

UPDATE: Stormy debate underway as parliament goes into session:

MPs observed a one-minute silence in memory of Hariri, who was killed in a bomb blast in Beirut on February 14 along with 17 other people in an attack widely blamed here on the government and its political masters in Syria.

But Prime Minister Omar Karameh, who took office after Hariri resigned in October, lashed out at those who charge is government played a part in the killing that set off the most serious political crisis since the civil war.

“To fire off political accusations pinning the responsibility of this criminal murder on the government without any proof is a grave injustice,” he told parliament.

Outside the building, at least 20,000 people were massed in Beirut for a demonstration calling for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanese soil.

“The Lebanese parliament, and all the Lebanese people want to know who killed Rafiq Hariri,” said parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri. “But we call on all parties not to make unfounded accusations which risk dividing the Lebanese people and undermining Lebanon’s relations with its neighbours.”

Before the session started, opposition MP Walid Eido said: “he who votes today for the government will be viewed as an accomplice in the assassination of Rafiq Hariri.”

Another MP, Marwan Hamad, told the flag-waving demonstrators: “The government has fallen.”The counting of votes doesn’t matter much, the important thing is what we are going to say during the session in the chamber, and what is said and the people continue to say each day.”

In a brief speech to the crowds in Martyrs’ Square where Hariri is buried in the heart of Beirut, the main opposition leader, Druze MP Walid Jumblatt saluted the thousands who had come through military checkpoints to protest.

There air in Lebanon is tense. There are predictions of bloodshed. A member on the Labanese Forces forum named Yara had this to say:

I hope I an wrong, but my feeling is that the parliament is in syria’s haands. They learnt their lesson in Bachir’s days and they did their utmost to eliminate “loose cannons” over the years. I would be, pleasantly, surprised if enough votes are gathered for a no confidence declaration. the reason the army looks so unconfrontational is not likely due to patriotism. It is in fact very tightly controlled, syrian style. I fear the syrians are acting a bit too smartly and confidently. Nonetheless we should maintain the pressure. Certainly the eyes of the world are turned towards us and we should keep their attention. i hope that the sacrifices of all those who lost life or freedom will be soon rewarded.

This feeling is well-founded. Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin has learned that the Syrian government may be planning to protect its authority at all costs, and Thomas L. Friedman made the same prediction on February 19th.

Rich is reporting directly from Beirut:

Mainstream media sources have picked up and run with the story of the opposition protest in direct violation of Interior Minister Franjieh’s direct ban on all protests (I hope the link comes back - al-Nahar has been having some networking problems, probably due to everyone and their freaking relatives trying to access stories about Lebanon right now). Local crowd estimates (by no means exhaustive or accurate) stand at about 50,000 with their numbers increasing. The army has all but given up trying to keep away pedestrians trying to gain access to the protests, but the security presence is still massive. The good news is that the proceedings appear very organized and very peaceful, and there is still no sign of a loyalist presence or any noteworthy agitation among the crowd. I hope that my prior fears continue to remain unjustified.

Parliamentary deliberations have begun - there are the usual catcalling, accusations, and public denials about all the he-said-she-said spectacles that have been going on for weeks, but parliament speaker Nabih Berri seems to be keeping everything running smoothly. The confidence vote will be held after every parliament member has been given the opportunity to speak, with no time limit for each person. Hence, the vote could be days from now if everyone starts getting long-winded.

More from him on what happened earlier in the morning here.

IMPRESSIVE: I’m watching Fox News right now, and they are showing live camera feeds from the protests and talking about it. Considering the mild coverage of Ukraine, the mainstream media is really on top of this. Hat tip to them!

LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER DENIES accusations against his government that it was involved in the killing of Hariri and calls for unity. Heh. I believe there is plenty of unity going on right outside of the parliament.

THE PROTESTS GROW: Caveman in Beirut has updated, saying that the numbers haved swelled past a quarter of a million.

Update: As of 1:45 pm, LBC reports that the crowd has swelled past the 200,000 mark - for those readers interested in statistics. I add my usual caveat that this number is neither accurate nor exhaustive - the actual number could be far greater. The important thing to remember is that this is happening in spite of extensive measures to prohibit protesters from reaching the site.

I knew it. I’ve been up for 30 hours now, but I don’t feel a bit tired. What will happen an hour from now? Six hours from now?

PERSONAL OBSERVATION: At this point, there are 80 legislators demanding to speak at the parliament meeting. Some think that this could delay the no-confidence vote for days. If in fact this is the case, it would only serve to strengthen the opposition. It took a couple of days for the opposition in Ukraine to reach the numbers it did, an Beirut already has a tent city. Not to mention, roadblocks have been set up that block the Christians in the north from entering Beirut. If I recall correctly, Christians played a huge role in Ukraine and will play a huge role here. They will get past the blockades eventually, and that will add more and more to the number of protestors.

ARGH: Lebanonwire.com suddenly decided to go to subscription service online. If anyone wants to donate $12 so that I can get the wire from there, feel free. Likewise if you already have a subscription to email me the contents of the stories.

MORE BLOGGING: Tony from Across the Bay is up and blogging from Beirut. Check it out!

BACK LATER: I’ve been up all night covering this as much as possible, but now I have to go to the school. Feel free to liberally email me stories while I’m there, as I will try to get internet access as soon as possible and continue.

BACK: Check out the main page, the rest of the updates are going on there. My prediction came true, and I’ve been up for 30 hours now, but I’m so filled with energy right now that I won’t be sleeping any time soon!

I just caught wind of this on the news. The Israeli government will shortly announce a transcript of orders delivered by the Syrian government to the terrorist group that carried out the attack in Tel Aviv. I haven’t been able to find an article on the net as of yet, but will post one as soon as I do.

My prediction: If anything, Monday is the day of the Lebanese revolution. If Israel attacks and destabilizes Syria for any amount of time during this, they will lose control of the situation there and Lebanon will go free. Who knows what Israel will do though. They could do less and not act… or they could do even more.

NOTE: This is the extremely irritating part about being a blogger: having to wait for the hard copy to become available. More on this story as it comes. This is a major development in conjunction with the Syria-Lebanon connection, and outside influence is what may make a major tilt in the balance there.

FINALLY: Now I know it was only a matter of minutes, but here is the story.

Israel will use intelligence information to prove Syria was behind suicide bombing Friday night’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the cabinet Sunday.

What the two called irrefutable evidence to this effect has been sent to the US and select European allies. The evidence, based on intelligence information, will be presented by IDF Intelligence chief Aharon Ze’evi Farkash in a briefing on Monday at the Foreign Ministry for ambassadors from European Union countries and the UN Security Council.

Sharon’s associates said the goal of releasing the information is to pressure the Syrians ahead of Tuesday’s summit on building the Palestinian Authority in London. Foreign Ministry officials said they hope the Security Council will condemn the attack and perhaps even censure Syria on Monday.

“We have intelligence information that the orders came from the Islamic Jihad in Syria,” a senior source close to Sharon said. “We know where the orders for the attack were issued, we know where they were sent, and we know Syrian intelligence was involved and provided logistical support.”

Mofaz told the cabinet that an Islamic Jihad cell in Jenin recruited the bomber from Tulkarm under orders from Damascus. Mofaz said that Israel had arrested Islamic Jihad operatives in Tulkarm, but both Mofaz and Sharon emphasized that the PA had taken no action yet against the group, even though Israel had given the PA names of wanted Islamic Jihad operatives.

“Although we know for a certainty that the orders came from Islamic Jihad elements in Syria, that fact is not enough to absolve the PA of its responsibility for the departure of the terrorist and of its obligation to act against his partners in the crime,” Sharon said.

Take a look at consultative council just advised:

DUBAI (AFP) - Academics and members of the appointed consultative council in the United Arab Emirates came out in favor of elections in the Persian Gulf state, arguing that it could not stay out of the regional trend toward elected bodies.

When millions of Arabs in Palestine, Iraq and Saudi Arabia have gone to the polls, the UAE cannot continue to lag behind, Professor Abdul Khaleq Abdullah of the UAE University told the English-language daily Khaleej Times.

“I strongly support the idea of having elected members” in the Federal National Council, said Khalifa Jumma al-Naboda, who sits on the 40-strong FNC, which is appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates making up the UAE.

Fellow member Mohammad bin Ali al-Nagbi told the same newspaper he would support elections as long as they were decided from within and were not imposed by external pressure. Atiq Daka, a professor of political science at the UAE University, told AFP: “Our country is now the only member of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) which has yet to catch up with the political opening up under way in the Arab world. Even countries we thought incapable of political change, such as Saudi Arabia, are now ahead of us.”

I think it’s a bit like Dave S. over at No Easy Answers said:

Holy crap! These guys are talking like it’s some sort of competition to be the best democracy and to be it before anybody else. Next thing you know, they’re gonna be a bunch of captialist Republicans over there!

Right on.

UPDATE: Read this post, and then continue on to my new post following the protests that are under way.

In the latest developments from Lebanon, the government fears a showdown:

Lebanon was headed for a showdown between the opposition and the security forces as thousands of demonstrators massed late today in Beirut in defiance of a ban on protests by the pro-Syrian government.

Shouting “Syria out” and waving the Lebanese flag, the protesters converged on the central Martyr’s Square as hundreds of heavily armed troops aided by police deployed jeeps and trucks to the main crossroads leading to the square.

An opposition member of parliament told the demonstrators that three members of the pro-Syrian Lebanese government had resigned.

The energy minister, economy and commerce minister and the junior minister for administrative development had all quit, Nayla Moawwad told the crowd to loud applause. The claim could not be independently verified.

“We are going to hand out blankets, we are staying here,” one of the demonstrators said over a megaphone, just hours before the ban was to kick in at 5am (1400 AEDT).

I have been saying that a revolution is possible on Monday since Thursday. Lebanonwire reports the same:

BEIRUT, Feb 27 (AFP) - Lebanon was headed for a battle of wills between the opposition and the security forces Monday as the pro-Syrian government announced a ban on all public demonstrations ahead of a mass rally called by its critics to coincide with a parliamentary censure vote.

Pro-government parties, including the Shiite Islamist movement Hezbollah, had called their supporters on to the streets for counter-demonstrations, raising fears of violence that the government used to justify its ban.

“All security forces are asked to take all necessary measures to protect security and order, and to ban demonstrations and gatherings on Monday,” Interior Minister Suleiman Frangieh said.

The ban had been ordered “due to the current circumstances, in the supreme national interest and with a view to the requirements of protecting civil peace,” he added.

The army later issued a statement saying that the ban would go into force from 1 am (0300 GMT), raising fears that troops would forcibly disperse the opposition sit-ins that have been held nightly since the assassination of five-times prime minister Rafiq Hariri, a Damascus critic.

But opposition leaders swiftly voiced defiance, insisting they would go ahead with their plans to demonstrate in the city centre to mark the second week since the deadly bomb blast on the Beirut seafront.

“The ban does not concern us. We are only holding a peaceful sit-in which will be maintained. Let them arrest us,” said leading opposition politician Elias Attallah.

That’s the right attitude! If the Syrian government or Hezbollah attack the anti-Syria protestors, the Lebanese are going to be beyond pissed. Already pissed off, this would probably throw the entire country into an even bigger mood of rage.

The no-confidence vote in the government is tomorrow, with thousands of people still protesting, and business, banking, and industrial leaders closing down the country’s economy in order to go out there themselves. It is going to be big, and it could be brutal, but either way, this could be the revolution.

Dar Al-Hayat has more on the solidarity of Syrian intellectuals with the people of Lebanon over restoring national sovereignty.

HELLO: Hi Instapundit readers. Well, you heard it here first, and if I’m wrong, then you know who to extract silence bribes from. But if something does go down, be sure to be back tomorrow for huge roundups of information.

PICTURES OF THE TENT CITY

Update: Wow. Pictures and video from all of the demonstrations from all over the world. Check out the rest of the forum. This seems to be where a lot of Lebanese are organizing their protests. Valuable information.

Whittier Daily News has an article tying Ukraine and Lebanon together.

BLOGGING THE OPPOSITION: Across the Bay, a Lebanese blog, has more on this.

TO QUOTE: “Lebanon’s interior ministry on Sunday ordered troops to “use all necessary means” to prevent demonstrations Monday against Syria’s military deployment, but protesters vowed to hold them anyway.” I think it is readily apparent just whose side the government is on.

A couple of days ago, I posted the full transcript of the press conference between President Bush and Putin after their meeting. In that post, I highlighted in bold what I thought were remarks worth noting and looking into. One journalist, in particular, threw a weird question out there, asking:

To follow up on the issue of democratic institutions, President Bush recently stated that the press in Russia is not free. What is this lack of freedom all about?

Your aides probably mentioned to you that our media, both electronic and our printed media, have full coverage on the manifestations and protests in our country. Our regional and national media often criticize the government institution.

What about ???????? why don????????t you talk a lot about violation of rights of journalists in the United States, about the fact that some journalists have been fired or do you prefer to discuss this in private with your American colleague?

The question was obviously loaded, being an allusion to Dan Rather. President Bush handled it well, and alluded himself to the question being raised in his discussion with Putin. President Putin had this to say about the Russian press (this is the part I highlighted and remarked to):

When we discuss these issues, absolutely frankly, we ???????? and I, in particular ???????? do not think that this has to be pushed to the foreground; that new problems should be created from nothing. And I do not think that we should jeopardize the Russian-American relationship, because we????????re interested in the development of this relationship. ÄFrankly, it should not be Putin????????s decision whether new problems should arise from the press or not. The way he talks even just reeks of his statist attitude.Å

More details of the confrontation between President Bush and Putin during the actual meeting appeared in the press today. I saw it first at Drudge, who reported:
(more…)

CLIFFNOTES:
1) Mubarak’s announcement and actions seek to legitimize his own government, not reform.
2) Opposition has little time to develop a massive grass roots campaign.
3) This does open a window for regime change if actions outside of Mubarak’s control occur.

Alright, so I’m a little skeptical. From the Christian Science Monitor:

BEIRUT AND CAIRO ???????? When Egyptians head to the polls later this year to elect a president, they will face something they have never seen before on the ballots: options.

In a surprise announcement Saturday, Egypt’s long-ruling president, Hosni Mubarak, ordered constitutional changes that would open the door for the first-ever multiparty presidential elections in the world’s most populous Arab country. The move is the latest indication of a cautious democratic shift under way in the Arab world.

Since the beginning of the year, the region has seen national elections in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, landmark municipal elections in Saudi Arabia, and unprecedented mass demonstrations in Lebanon calling for an end to Syrian tutelage.

The question remains whether these developments are truly the initial flourishings of a nascent democratic transformation or merely halfhearted measures by autocratic regimes which have no intention of promoting genuine change. What happens next is key, observers say.

“I will be encouraged only when I see a real grass-roots movement emerging,” says Ammar Abdulhamid, a Syrian social analyst. “What I see happening in Lebanon is encouraging. In Egypt, I can see signs because there are a number of people who have pushed Mubarak into opening up the elections. On the other hand, in Syria unfortunately, it’s a very disappointing state of affairs and we seem to be heading in the wrong direction.”

Egyptian opposition groups, which have been calling for reform for decades, cautiously welcomed Mr. Mubarak’s step, but warned that there was much work ahead to guarantee the election would be free and open to all candidates. “I still can’t believe I am talking about open presidential elections in Egypt,” says Hisham Kassem, a human rights activist. “If I don’t get beaten up or arrested and dumped in a cell, I now think I may actually see democracy here within my lifetime.”

(more…)

I emailed Nathan over at The Argus what he thought about the lack of protests, or anything for that matter, in regards to the Tajik elections. Here is his insight:

I think the thing is that Kyrgyzstan is kind of deceptive. Akayev has run the place more or less like a normal country, and people have gotten a taste for the comparative freedom they’ve enjoyed. It’s hard to describe, but the country struck me as incredible after I’d been in Uzbekistan for about a year. People are laid back, all kinds of products are available, and you can get margaritas! The Kyrgyz are ready to be part of the world.

Tajikistan’s had none of this and would probably welcome the tightly-controlled certitudes of the Soviet Union to the nightmare of civil war and total economic collapse they went through after independence. I’ve heard that Rakhmonov is genuinely popular and has a reputation as being a peacemaker and guarantor of stability. I’ve also read that this election is actually expected to be cleaner than the last. There are really only two parties that are popular and both will get representation. Even if the government fixed everything in the least subtle way possible, I don’t think that most Tajiks would get too bent out of shape (except for militant members of the IRP who might want a new civil war). It’s much harder to get your editor to approve a week of stories from Dushanbe when Bishkek’s probably going to produce better stories.

As for the lack of blog discussion… Well, it seems to be you and I are the only ones talking about this… There are few bloggers there because there are few reasons for people to go there. I’d imagine that internet access sucks.

The context he puts it in definitely helped me better understand the situation.

UPDATE: Nathan wants to make known that he is much more knowledgeable about Kyrgyzstan than he is Tajikistan. Either way, I take him over the newswire — or what there is of one — any day.

Zed just let me know of his latest Daily Burma post. There is a new publication in Canada that is the first in North America to print in Burmese! Check it out, he has the PDF file of one of its issues.

Regime Change Iran has its Sunday Briefing up.

A revealing interview was published Friday (Feb. 25) in the Islamist daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi with Khaled Mashal, the head of Hamas’ political wing. The article was headlined: “Mashal: Pressures on Syria will have a negative effect on Hamas.” Aside from suggesting that the Syria-Hamas relationship is much closer than Syria claims, Mashal describes the truce with Israel as a purely temporary affair. He also suggests that the Bush administration has been secretly sending conciliatory messages to Hamas, a point which I hope is not true, and if true would seem to violate the Bush Doctrine. I have translated it below, and I’ve bolded some key points (note that according to Al-Quds this was apparently reported through the Arabic version of Agence France-Presse, but I haven’t found anything in the English or French media on it):

Mashal said in a press conference that he held in Doha yesterday ÄFridayÅ that “there is no doubt that the pressures on Syria are distressing and that which is coming about as a consequence of the (former Lebanense Prime Minister) Hariri assasination is distressing, and it affects us negatively.” And responding to a question regarding the possibility of Hamas leaving Syria, Mashal sufficed to say that his movement was present in various countries, in some of them in an open manner, and that in others they had an undeclared presence.

He added that “our status with the Arab regimes is healthy and does not represent a burden on anyone except that our presence attracts oppressive American pressure.” He refrained from detailing the view of the Hamas leadership externally regarding a situation in which they had to leave Syria. For the better part of a year, most Palestinian officials based in Damascus have toned down their appearance following pressures from the United States on Syria demanding that it puts an end to the presence of hard-line Palestinian organizations on its soil.

Regarding the new Palestinian government, Mashal said that “our problem now is not the government, despite some observations regarding it, but our basic problem is contained within the necessity of having a high authority for the Palestinian people Ähe used the term murja’iyya, which has Islamic overtonesÅ and that there be agreement on the political program and how to manage this stage.” And he added that “it is necessary to understand our demands, that they are conditions for entering the government. There is a political crisis in the government and it goes back to previous crises and the government of Abu Alla’ (Ahmad Qurea) which was in an ambiguous situation because of the internal timetable of Fatah… There is a conflict of generations in the movement and reports on the ministers go back a while, and the ministers are corrupt and Fatah feels that these individuals are accountable to the movement ÄFatah itself, as opposed to the Palestinian peopleÅ. And regarding the truce agreement ÄhudnaÅ with Israel, Mashal said “we consider it a break from fighting.”

Mashal added that “we will not lay down the weapon of resistance and if the security organizations use weapons against the people then this is not legal also.” ÄThis is a reference to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas’ declarations that he would crack down on Palestinian terrorism.Å

In his comments on the return of the Jordanian and Egyptian ambassadors to Israel, the head of Hamas’ political office said “we consider this step to be in error.”

He also criticized the visit of the Israel’s Deputy Minister for Education, Culture and Sports, Hahkam Mikhael, to Qatar, and called on Arab nations to not renew their relations or establish new relations with Israel.

On another point, Mashal revealed receiving contacts from the Americans. He said that “its not a secret that before the martyrdom of Shaikh Ahmad Yassin (the founder of Hamas) and our response in the movement, there was a contact from the American side which came from the outside and at a time essentially contemporaneous.” And he added that the American administration applied pressure through this contact presenting a prodding message in an attempt to get Hamas to think of itself as a constructive actor in the Palestinian public sphere and that it had its own space and thus convince it that it had a significant role, but the letter also contained a threatening message in case that we weren’t responsive.”

Mashal further said that “we rejected this message. But he added that the Americans are always trying to send messages to us by indirect means, a matter which confirms that despite the fact that Hamas is on Washington’s list of terrorist organizations, there will be no solution on the Palestinian side without Hamas.”

As noted above, it would seem a rather egregious violation of the Bush Doctrine if the administration was making nice with Hamas, and something of a delusional misunderstanding of the nature of the movement if the administration really thought that Hamas’ grievances just revolved around how much land they got in a final settlement. I suppose this would not be the first time that the State Department demonstrated a lack of basic understanding of movements of this sort, but it is pretty well known that Hamas’ raison d’etre is the annihilation of Israel.

Contributed by Kirk H. Sowell at Window on the Arab World, and More!

Venezuela Today has found an extremely significant strategic development in the Colombian press: Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez is thinking of withdrawing Venezuela’s membership from the Organization of American States. He would do that to circumvent the regional organization’s group efforts to strengthen the OAS’ Democracy Charter, which of course does not serve his interests as a dictator.

This wily move comes as a blow to the Bush administration, which has stated that its strategy is to force Chavez to adhere to democratic norms or face OAS sanctions - and, at this meeting, the U.S. is proposing to add the additional sanction of ‘force.’ Obviously, Chavez, being a tyrant, wants no part of this. His means of evading this would be to drop out as an OAS member.

If Venezuela is out, it’s not part of the club covenant anymore, which is bad for the country’s image, but preferable to potential force from the OAS. It also makes it far more likely that the U.S. will have to resolve its differences with Chavez on its own.

The OAS represents region’s commitment to democracy, with only pariah states excluded. To date, only one nation in the hemisphere is not a member of that organization, Castro’s Cuba.

Meanwhile, here is one of the most clear-headed items of news and analysis I’ve seen on US-Venezuelan relations from the San Francisco Chronicle’s excellent Robert Collier.

That’s the Palestinian people. It remains to be seen if the leadership understands that their people have had enough and are demonstrating a new willingness to talk peace:

If this is to be made into something that could resemble a positive step, the PA should offer to work beside the Israeli military instead of against it, even going so far as to wage war against the Palestinian terror forces. It Abbas is to be seen as serious, he needs to begin punishing terror organizations immediately.

If he does that, he will find himself in what amounts to a civil war. I don’t see how he can avoid war and wage peace with Israel. Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Hamas and the rest will not go away and must be dealt with violently.

It looks like this may be the moment where the Palestinian people have decided that their future lies with an Israeli-Palestinian peace rather than with a dead Arafat intifada.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has a great primer on the events there. Here is the first, second, and third parts in the series. Make sure to check out the RFE/RL feature page on the election.

Nathan also has a huge roundup.

This article explains procedure for monitors, and while the headline says there are no violations, this says differently:

BISHKEK. Feb 27 (Interfax) - A Kyrgyz opposition leader said violations have been reported in Sunday????????s parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan.

???????Reports have been arriving since the morning about flagrant violations of election regulations and about the use of administrative pressure during the elections and during preparations for the elections,??????? Roza Otunbayeva, leader of the Ata-Zhurt (Fatherland) opposition movement told the press on Sunday.

???????The elections are unfair and are likely to be followed by a wave of popular protests,??????? Otunbayeva said.

After Venezuela and Ukraine, I’m going to take the opposition side on this. Reuters reports on voter apathy do to the cheating of the electoral system. Freedom House deplores the closing of the only Kyrgyzstan opposition press a few days before the elections.

Kyrgyzstan is experiencing an unprecedented upsurge in civil activism:

A sudden upsurge of civic activism has brought thousands out into the streets in Kyrgyzstan. Parliamentary elections are on 27 February, demonstrators are demanding the reinstatement of candidates pulled from races, and the specter of recent revolutionary political change in Georgia and Ukraine looms large across the former Soviet Union.

But possible parallels tell only part of the story, for the surprising sweep of Kyrgyzstan’s protests, the particulars of its political spectrum, and the importance of its current crossroads suggest that whatever path the country now takes, it will be very much its own.

Large-scale protests began when local courts started removing candidates from the ballot for the 27 February parliamentary elections. On 21 February, more than 500 supporters of candidate Arslan Maliev gathered in the Tong Raion of Issyk-Kul Oblast when a court nixed his candidacy for campaign violations, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The same day, over 2,000 people massed in Talas Oblast to protest the removal of candidate Ravshan Jeenbekov for alleged vote-buying, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) reported on 24 February. The next day, a crowd numbering from 7,000-10,000 blocked the Bishkek-Torugart highway in the Kochkor Raion of Naryn Oblast to protest the removal of candidates Beishenbek Bolotbekov and Akylbek Japarov, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Protests also took place in the Tiup Raion of Issyk-Kul Oblast to protest the disqualification of candidate Sadyr Japarov. Jalal-Abad Oblast witnessed similar demonstrations.

Blog Zerrissenheit reports the same in her own descriptions:

In protest, roads are presently blocked at Tyup (north of Karakol, along Lake Issy-Kul) and Bokonbaeva.

There are demonstrations — and the road is blocked — in Kochkor (near Lake Song Kol) as well.

Cars cannot reach Naryn nor Karakol.

Electricity has been cut off at the printing press of opposition newspapers.

A couple of days ago, in Karakol, the governor of Issyk-Kul region told opposition candidates that they should withdraw their candidacies to allow pro-governmental candidates to win. The tone of the request was, “Anyway you can’t win, so you might as well just give up.”

Debates were broadcast in southern regions, but the power was cut to households that would be viewing.

Transition Trends blog is giving its impression, while Transitions Online reports on the government’s anti-democratic legacy, and how people are willing to dish out the spankings:

International human rights groups have dutifully recorded and expressed concern about illegal attempts to thwart opposition campaigns and to manipulate the results of the elections, which will be held on 27 February. Kyrgyz human rights activists say that President Askar Akaev, having already ???????taken over??????? the government apparatus, is now trying to take over the legislative branch, after which he can join several other leaders of former Soviet republics in establishing a dynasty for himself and his family. The ground is clearly being prepared: numerous family relatives of the president are running in these elections.

The problem for the president is that, either because of his government????????s numerous public statements about the virtues of democracy????????statements transparently aimed at pleasing the international community-or simply because of its demonstrated inefficiency when it tries to implement repressive tactics, many citizens seem unprepared to allow the Akaev government have its way in these elections.

Even after the bloodshed in the Aksy region in 2002, when police shot dead a number of protesters????????crimes for which no one has been punished, while the officials responsible have been promoted????????anxious Kyrgyz citizens do not fear their government enough to play the passive, supplicant role expected by a president who apparently sees himself as a benign father-figure.

Just like in the Orange Revolution, the opposition has a song:

“The wave has risen. The thunder has awoken. The time has come, a time for celebration of the victory of good over evil….”

That????????s the campaign song of KelKel, a youthful political movement that is making waves in Kyrgyzstan. Loosely translated, KelKel means ???????new epoch??????? in Kyrgyz and the group — using adapted lyrics to a popular movie tune — is appealing to youth across the country to vote on 27 February against a government it accuses of corruption and authoritarian practices.

KelKel is one of many youth groups and parties that have sprung up recently in Kyrgyzstan, representing the full political spectrum from pro-government to neutral, to resolutely antigovernment.

KelKel actually has a great discussion between students about the need for revolution there. Check that out!

Speaking of the opposition, Benjamin Walker notes the difference between pro-government campaign posters and those of other candidates. Pictures!

There is some speculation as to what color this revolution will be if it occurs. From what I could tell in the past, it would either be tulip or velvet.

UPDATE: There is fear of the issuing of a state of emergency in some regions. The article is a couple of days old, but has a lot of good information. It is still something to watch out for.

MY THOUGHTS: I’ll be sure to update more as more news comes out of the situation. But for now, here are my thoughts and predictions.

These parliamentary elections, despite some big protests, may not spark a revolution this time around. This is simply because the issue of many individual parliamentarians being voted in is not as powerfully divisive as a two man show for president. That’s just how it is.

However, these elections, due to the government’s hand in creating a “family dynasty” of sorts, will further speculation into government corruption and misuse of power. The presidential elections are in October, and the currently presiding president has said he will step down. Like Kuchma, I believe he will. And like Kuchma, I think the government is going to massively try to influence the elections to get their guy in. If just the parliamentary elections can wield the protests that are underway already, the presidential ones will be much larger.

When it comes down to it, the democratic opposition needs to find common ground and a popular candidate that it can run. It also needs to establish a widely known campaign, and more mass media. Good choices for candidates would probably be those who were last-minute barred from running for parliament. As for the mass media, the more it produces, the more the government will try to shut down. This is actually a good thing, as it gives the opposition more credence while they continue to dispense underground information.

So is a tulip revolution possible now? It’s possible, but not likely. I think we on this side of the blogosphere saw more than we originally thought would happen. So is one possible in October? I’d place money on it.

UPDATE: Here are some preliminary results.

This will be a post updated continuously through Sunday. I am going to sleep right now and will begin when I wake up. until then, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has a great primer on the events there. Here is part one, two, three, and four. And make sure to check out RFE/RL’s feature page on Tajikistan.

There is apparently high voter turnout already:

Prague, 27 February 2005 — Voter turnout at polling stations in Tajikistan early today was reported to be higher than during parliamentary elections in 2000.

In some areas, reports say voters were lining up at polling station for more than 30 minutes to cast their ballots for the lower house of parliament — known in Dushanbe as the Majlisi Namoyandagon.

Six parties are vying for the 63 seats available in the lower house. Twenty-two of those will be awarded on the basis of party lists. The remaining 41 seats will be decided through contests in single-mandate districts. In all, nearly 230 candidates are competing for places in parliament.

By mid-afternoon, Central Election Commission Chairman Mirzoali Boltuyev said that 54.7 percent of the eligible voters had cast ballots — making the election valid under Tajikistan’s electoral law.

As he cast his ballot in Dushanbe, President Rakhmonov praised the elections. At the same time, he offered cautionary words to those with high expectations about the polls.

“I think Äthe current election processÅ is much more transparent than the previous election,” Rakhmonov said. “I would not compare elections in our society to those in the United States and the West. I do not deny our shortcomings. We are just at the starting point of the creation of a democratic, secular country with the rule of law.”

Rakhmonov’s People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan — also known as the PDPT — won 65 percent of the seats in parliament in the 2000 elections. Weeks ahead of today’s vote, the party seemed poised to maintain, and probably increase the number of seats it controls.

POLLS CLOSE:

The polls have closed in Tajikistan where voters were electing members of the lower house of parliament Sunday.

The Central election commission in Dushanbe declared the poll valid, saying turnout reached more than 84 percent two hours before closing.

Eurasianet has an article about complaints from the opposition in terms of government involvement in the campaign. Otherwise, the lack of information coming out of the country is kind of astounding to me. I’m hoping more will come up soon.

To note, any and all opposition in Tajikistan is weak and fragmented, but here is an information page on the parties. Here’s their constitution.

Jimmy Carter’s minions have been turning up a lot in Caracas lately, and bloggers like Miguel Octavio aren’t particularly impressed. Neither is blogger Daniel Duquenal.

And neither am I.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered the arrest of a past president who ordered some massacre back in 1989 to preserve ‘order.’ What’s disgusting to blogger Alek Boyd is that he’s ordered the same kinds of massacres himself. He has it on tape.

Obviously, Chavez doesn’t think he’s ever going to run into a future president who will, in turn, arrest him for his own massacres, citing precedent.

Chavez is aged 48. Says a lot, don’t you think?

Egypt’s president for life, or at least the last 24 years is now calling for multi-candidate elections. He is requesting a national referendum to open up the September presidential rubber stamp. My take over at Bloggledygook:

This is a very shrewd move by Mubarak, who has been snubbed just this last week by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and has seen increased pressure form the US in the wake of the arrest of Ayman Nour.

I don’t want to be overly skeptical, but the reaction from the audience seems to me to have been staged and a little too good to be true. He could be using this as a way of portraying himself as a new democrat while ferreting out the opposition. He could also have decided that this would be an opportune time in which to make the gamble of staging an election that could possibly get past international observers allowing him to consolidate his power and squelch the growing chorus of criticism.

I see a trip to Cairo by Jimmy Carter. I predict that if this election comes off that no matter how honest or corrupt it turns out to be, Jimmah will give it his imprimatur and the rest of the world will shrug and get back to focusing on where democracy is actually given a chance of succeeding.

It’s hard not to choke on one’s morning coffee when reading this. We have been witnessed to sham elections coming at odd times before. We will see in the coming weeks whether this is a ploy by Mubarak to deflect criticism or an honest attempt to become legitimate.

Third graf…

Remember Stalin’s airbrushed photos, reflecting who was purged and who was in favor? The trend seems to be beginning in Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez’s political propaganda these days.

Venezuelan blogger Miguel has come up with a classic blog expose about crowd pictures in Hugo Chavez’s propaganda. All of the people in the crowds are phony repeat images. He has the photos with diagrammed lines showing the ridiculous fakery. So much for Chavez being a popular guy, he can’t even get a crowd together to illustrate his own propaganda!