NYTimes -- When a Kleptocratic, Megalomaniacal Dictator Goes Bad

A long article on ''Beloved Leader Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great,'' our main ally in the Afghan War. Remember Afghanistan?

Last summer, Turkmenistan's nominal Legislature passed the president's request to change some of the names of the days of the week and the months to his first name, his new last name and words associated with his name. (In an act of filial generosity, he ordered April to be renamed for his mother.)

Western diplomats estimate that Niyazov [Turkmenbashi's real name] has spirited between $1.4 billion and $2 billion from the national treasury into foreign accounts.

Official corruption, the suppression of moderate forms of Islam and a sense that social problems like drug use are beyond the control of the government have led people in neighboring countries to embrace a harsh political Islam. It's hard to say whether Turkmenistan will follow a similar path.

Based on Afghanistan and Bush's favorite allies, who would believe that we will bring democracy to Iraq?