NY Times: Saudi Arabia Arming Its Allies with Electoral Money!

NY Times: Saudi Arabia Arming Its Allies with Electoral Money!

It is the election season in Lebanon, the season in which all weapons become legalized and therefore used by various parties in an attempt to emerge victorious out of the forthcoming parliamentary elections… However, one of the main weapons that seem to be intensively used this year is the electoral money… According to the US daily New York Times, the parliamentary elections are shaping up to be among the most expensive ever held ... ... More

“We’re supporting candidates running against Hezbollah, and we’re going to make Iran feel the pressure.”

In the NYTIMes, here

".... Lebanon has long been seen as a battleground for regional influence, and now, with no more foreign armies on the ground, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region are arming their allies here with campaign money in place of weapons .... Votes are being bought with cash or in-kind services. Candidates pay their competitors huge sums to withdraw. The price of favorable TV news coverage is rising, and thousands of expatriate Lebanese are being flown home, free, .... “We are putting a lot into this,” said one adviser to the Saudi government, who added that the Saudi contribution was likely to reach hundreds of millions of dollars in a country of only four million people. “We’re supporting candidates running against Hezbollah, and we’re going to make Iran feel the pressure.”

Saad Hariri, the billionaire leader of the current parliamentary majority and a Saudi ally, is reputed to be the biggest election spender. It may not have helped that he kicked off his campaign with a gaudy televised event that resembled the set of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Ahmed al-Asaad, 46, said that Saudi Arabia’s government was a “significant source of support” for his campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.“I need tools to fight back, and if the Saudis have an interest in building a state here, why shouldn’t I take advantage of that?” said Mr. Asaad,.."

Posted by G, Z, & or B at 9:44 AM