Mystery in the Middle East

James Taranto of Best of the Web Today points out a problem in the editorial pages of my local newspaper, the Orange County Register. Here's what the Register had to say about the move toward democracy in the Middle East:

It is fairly easy to see that something important is happening in Lebanon, a move in the direction of independence and the idea of a civil society with democratic underpinnings that is reflected elsewhere in the Middle East. It is more difficult to figure out why it is happening just now, what forces have converged at this moment.

And here's Mr. Taranto's comment:

Man, this is a tough one! We're racking our brain trying to remember if anything happened recently that might have given a push to proponents of democracy in the Middle East. Hmm, nope! Still can't think of anything.

I wholeheartedly agree with James. Doesn't The Register read their own paper? Weren't there, oh for instance, some elections in Iraq that might have gotten other countries interested in trying it for themselves??