When in doubt, blame the Jews ...

As the protests and rebellions continue to spread around the Arab world, it was only a matter of time before one of the despots pointed to the Jews as the culprits in this wave of citizen activism. Anti-Semitism is the favored card of Arabs of many stripes.

The despot who runs Yemen--or at least is in charge of the government in his capital city--says the reason the people in his fiefdom are so angry with him is because Obama and the Israelis are stirring them up:

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh delivered a fiery speech Tuesday blaming Israel and the United States for "destabilizing the Arab world," saying the anti-government protests in his capital were being "run by the White House."

Speaking to students and professors at Sana University, Saleh's accusations mark a departure for the president, a longtime ally of the United States in the war against Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula and the recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid in recent years.

If Mr. Saleh were Pinocchio, his nose would be growing.

The rally came a day after key opposition figures refused Saleh's offer to form a "unity government." The offer, which was widely considered the president's last-ditch effort at reconciliation, promised to include opposition leaders as well as members of the ruling party. Saleh also promised "intensifying anti-corruption investigations" and other political reforms.

You mean to say, Mr. Saleh, that corruption and not Israel might be to blame for your unpopularity?

Sheik Abdul Majeed Zindani, whom the U.S. has accused of being linked to Al Qaeda, led prayers over a loudspeaker at the protest, calling on Saleh to grant the protesters' "legitimate demands and rights." He envisions Yemen as an Islamist state, and his words brought both cheers and concern from the assembled crowd, underscoring the diversity of Yemenis present.

So the president of Yemen wants us to believe that Israel and the United States are stirring up protests in his country so that this extremely ugly, red-bearded maniac, Sheik Zindani, can take charge? That sure makes a whole lot of sense. Yeah, we really want Al-Qaeda's Red Osama running Yemen.