On The Third Hand

Saddam Hussein has been hung.

“The butcher of Baghdad is dead. Saddam Hussein, the tyrant who ruled Iraq like a Mafia don, slaughtered his fellow citizens and led his country into two disastrous wars with the United States, was hanged near dawn in Iraq for the 1982 massacre of 148 Shiite civilians.”

Saddam Hussein Sentenced To Death by Hanging

Now, we’ll see if it actually ever happens…

I think most of us assumed they had them - now they’ve proved it. One good thing - sounds like China is NOT happy with them. (Neither is anyone else - except, probably, Iran.)

Instapundit has some good links.

Wizbang is following a rumor that they may be about to do a second test.

My biggest worry for the US is that they might sell their nukes to someone… like Iran.

Ahmadinejad has a blog? (It’s using the Iranian .ir - so I think it’s legit.) It even provides an English translation. (Hat tip to LGF commenter Sleipnir, who got it from Allahpundit at Hot Air.) No. I am not putting this one on my blogroll. But I’m fascinated.

BlogSafer: How to Blog in a Repressive Country

Spirit of America has launched the BlogSafer wiki. BlogSafer contains a series of guides on how to blog under difficult conditions in countries that discourage free speech.

The guides are a synthesis of all currently available information on the subject of anonymization. They have been edited for non-technical readers, translated into the languages of the target areas and posted on the wiki. Bloggers can use the wiki format to expand, edit and change the current guides to reflect a closer knowledge of the changing situation in their countries. Others may use the guides, and the other resources provided, to translate the guides into other languages or create new guides specific to their countries’ situations.

This is exactly the sort of thing we need. Check out the top link for a good overview, or check out the wiki itself.

In the Land of the Brother Leader

Michael Totten tours Libya.

When you visit another country, it’s hard to get a feel for what it’s actually like until you leave your hotel room, go for a walk, take a look around, and hang out while soaking it in. Not so in Libya. All you have to do there is show up. It will impose itself on you at once.

My Air Afriquiya flight touched down on the runway next to a junkyard of filthy, gutted and broken-down Soviet aircraft in an airport otherwise empty of planes. When I stepped out of the hatch into the jetway, I came face to face with three uniformed military goons who scrutinized me and everyone else from behind reflective oversize sunglasses.

Read the whole thing - right to the last paragraph, where you’ll see why I titled this as I did. And, by the way, he’s another blogger who is doing original reporting from the Middle East. His blog is here.

A Smile From The Den……..

“When it comes to women’s rights, I think it was worth it. A leg gets broken, but maybe [it will lead] to the change in the law,” Abbas-Gholizadeh said. “Or an issue regarding women’s rights might be brought to attention. Violence is bad. It’s bad to have to pay a price. But I don’t think it has been any different elsewhere in the world, where people have also had to obtain their rights themselves.”

All this because of the Iranian victory in a soccer match. Each day, the young are making it plain that things cannot continue the way they are, in some very surprising venues!

Via Iran va Jahan

A Growl From The Den……..

6 June 1944

For those too young to remember, go read the history books and all the fine material to be found on the web as to why this is a day to be remembered forever!

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia reported dead

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May. 27 (UPI) – Reliable sources in the Saudi capital Riyadh said Friday King Fahd is dead, reports the Saudi Institute.

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has been dead since late Wednesday, according to several well-placed sources in the capital Riyadh who spoke to the Saudi Institute, a pro-democracy think tank in Washington, on condition of anonymity.

The government also canceled all military leave, “a sure sign that something is happening,” said the Saudi Institute.

There was no confirmation of heightened security alert reported by some western media and denied by the government, who also denied the king is dead, but said he was in the hospital.

I’d certainly take anything from ‘anonymous sources’ with a grain of salt, no matter how ‘reliable’ they are. (Official reports this morning are that he is in the hospital in ’stable condition’.) But I’d suggest we all keep a close eye on happenings in Saudi Arabia until this is either confirmed or disproven (and an even closer eye if it is confirmed). Things could get interesting.

[update:] Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat As Qudwa al-Hussaeini (aka Yasser Arafat) is still dead.

I don’t really see why anyone would want to see Saddam’s underpants… but if you missed it yesterday, and really must see, Wizbang has a picture here (if you don’t want to see but are wondering – briefs, not boxers).

And, no, as a matter of fact, I don’t care if someone invaded his privacy. I hope these pictures are splashed all over the Iraq news. It’s little enough vengeance for what he did to them. (Thanks to wits0 for reminding me – I meant to find a link to the picture yesterday, but forgot.)

Cedar Revolution Exported to Syria

I hope he is right. But I also hope you all will excuse me while I suspect that Assad will discover his ‘inner tyrant’ and stomp down on those who want freedom.

Tens of Thousands March for Democracy in Bahrain

Saw this over at the Blogfather’s (the link goes to Publius Pundit, who has the lowdown and several good links). I immediately checked our blogger in Bahrain who has plenty to say on the subject, with more links and lots of good pictures.