• OK, here's the straight poop on the Flight of the Conquereds today, and how things got messy:
Ben Ali got shuffled out of Tunis around sunset, supposedly via helo to Malta (that's where the Malta story came from). The helos may or may not have been French military (which would explain the Paris story). Now comes the interesting part. Sources say that the Hairdresser was packed off to Dubai a couple days ago (one last shopping spree on the Jumhuriyah's credit card?). Ben Ali's going to meet up with her there. There's some disagreement on which of the Gulf States has taken him in, but it seems clear now that he's retiring to the beach. (Update, 11:55 p.m.: The Ben Ali clan has taken refuge in Saudi Arabia. As my friend Catherine pointed out, it's the same place Idi Amin retired, sort of an "Old Dictator's Home."
• This is a scary night for our friends. I can only imagine their fears; you certainly don't trust the police or the military that much; but their absence means you've given the night over to looters. I pray to our common God that they and their families remain safe. A report from one friend says 'the gunshots you're hearing are the military bringing order, let's stay calm at this historic moment.'
• Reports indicate that the military is taking control of some areas, including Bizerte.
• Calls for blood donation are going out among the social media sites.
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