Counterpunch, June 14
By ESAM AL-AMIN

Since the Lebanese parliamentary elections on June 7, the mainstream media have declared that the results of the elections clearly show that Hizbollah and its coalition partners have suffered a “crushing defeat.” Some, led by the New York Times and cable news outlets, went even further, suggesting that the Cairo address by President Barack Obama was what made the difference, tilting the elections in favor of the pro-Western governing coalition.

This is pure fantasy, and reveals a complete misunderstanding of the nature of Lebanese politics and an ignorance of the realities on the ground.

article: http://www.counterpunch.org/amin06122009.html

Lebanese officials accused Israel of disrupting their communications (sound familiar?)

[div class=excerpt style=background:#FEFEFF]Lebanon accuses Israel of election tamperingLebanese telecommunication minister says Israel caused disruptions in cellular communication before and during Election Day. Country to file complaint with UN

Roee Nahmias Published: 06.10.09, 10:56 / Israel News


Lebanese Telecommunication Minister Gibran Bassil accused Israel on Tuesday of causing massive disruptions in cellular communication in the country ahead and on Election Day on Sunday.

At a press conference at his office Bassil claimed that inquiries conducted by his ministry revealed Israel was responsible for jamming cellular signals and interrupting communication among private users, defense officials, political activists and embassies.

Bassil said he asked Lebanon's foreign minister to issue a formal complaint with the UN regarding the alleged disruption.

"There are known sources of disruption from the sea and air," said Bassil, who claimed that he was the first to warn about the possibility of such attempts two months ago.

The problems, noted throughout the country and not just in the south, were registered mainly on the cellular networks, although landlines also suffered some disturbances, he added.

These accusations come in the heels of the recent exposure of an alleged "Israeli spy ring" in Lebanon.

This is not the first time that such allegations are being heard in the country. In the past Lebanese officials accused Israel of sending phone messages to Lebanese citizens as part of psychological warfare against them.


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3729089,00.html [/quote]


and MomPerson just posted this in the [link:www.progressiveindependent.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=158&topic_id=2455&mesg_id=2471|thread about Iran]:

[div class=excerpt style=background:#FEFEFF]
Jamal Dajani


Senior Director and Producer of Mosaic News, Link TV
Posted: June 12, 2009 10:23 AM
Saudi Arabia: A Player in Middle East Elections
It is a contradiction to mention Saudi Arabia (an absolute monarchy) and elections in the same sentence; however, no country in the Middle East, as of late, has been more invested in this democratic process than Saudi Arabia. For the record, election is part of the democratic process; Saudi Arabia is not.

According to some reports which have been circulating in the Arab media, the Saudis poured more money into the Lebanese parliamentary race that propelled the coalition of Sa'ad el-Hariri into victory than what was spent on Barack Obama's U.S. presidential bid. Lebanon, however, is a country of only four million.

While one cannot quantify the exact amount of money the Saudis spent or substantiate these reports, the Saudi influence is evident through the many media outlets the Kingdom owns or backs.

Saudi Arabia controls an impressive share of the Arab world's most influential media outlets ranging from top distribution newspapers such the London-based Asharq Alawsat, to the second most viewed television satellite station in the region Al Arabiya, which was founded by the brother-in-law of the late King Fahd. Saudi control of many Arab media outlets, directly and indirectly, has prompted a journalist friend of mine based in Egypt to refer to the Saudi monarch as his editor-in chief.

During the Lebanese Parliamentary Elections, the Saudi-controlled media focused its efforts on painting the Lebanese opposition lead by Hezbollah as an Iranian "proxy". The Kingdom dispatched a group of "experts" from one station to the other to warn about the spread of Iran's influence in the Arab world. The same sentiment was also disseminated through editorials in the various newspapers Saudi Arabia owned or had an interest in.

This past week, while still savoring the election victory in Lebanon of the March 14 alliance, the Saudi-controlled media has been concentrating its efforts on the Iranian Presidential Election. Al Arabiya, for example, has been constantly airing segments from the television debates by the presidential candidates and sound bites critical of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Saudi-run media has been favoring Mir Hossein Mousavi, the reformist candidate, and has given him the edge in Tehran but neglected other provinces where it is a totally different story. In many instances, anchors on Saudi-controlled Arab media outlets could hardly restrain their glee whenever Ahmadinejad was criticized by his challengers.

In case you're wondering who the Saudis have been targeting through Arab satellite stations in Iran where Farsi is the official language -- approximately 6% of Iran's population are Arabic-speakers, the majority of whom live in Khuzestan. Saudi Arabia is hoping that they, along with other minority groups, will make the difference to deliver them another victory... this time against Ahmadinejad in Iran.

Update: The Iranian government has recently shut down Al Arabiya's offices in Tehran.

Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamal-dajani/saudi-arabia-a-player-in_b_214776.html [/quote]

This is old news, but it ties into the election interference.


Lebanon charges 10 more Israel-affiliated spies
Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:09:18 GMT
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A masked Lebanese secret service officer shows electronic devices found with those arrested for spying for Israel.

Lebanon has charged ten more people with spying for Israel's notorious intelligence agency amid a crackdown on espionage rings in the country.

"They are accused of collaborating with the Israeli enemy for money and [in exchange] giving it information about civilian and military outposts," a Lebanese judicial official said.

The Wednesday charges bring to 68 the number of people formally accused of espionage for Tel Aviv. The defendants could face death penalty if convicted.

Lebanon has also arrested nearly 100 others on suspicion of espionage since it launched a major crackdown on spy networks almost two months ago. Most of the detainees were reportedly equipped with high-tech espionage equipment.

The country's security forces say they have dismantled at least 25 Israeli spy cells throughout the country this year.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=97656&sectionid=351020203