[Iran Press TV Latest] Lebanese security forces have arrested two brothers on suspicion of spying for Israel amid anti-espionage campaign in the country.
The brothers were arrested Sunday in Rmeich village of the Nabatiye Governorate in southern Lebanon, Xinhua reported.
They are said to be relatives of a retired senior police officer named Emaad Al-Alam, who was arrested on April 10 over accusations of leading a spying network for Israel.
According to the Lebanese police, computers, equipment and documents of their communication with Israel were found in their house.
So far, Lebanon has charged at least 55 people for spying and has arrested almost 100 others on suspicion of espionage since it launched a major crackdown on spy networks almost two months ago.
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Posted by: Fred ||
06/08/2009 00:00 ||
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#1
So far, Lebanon has charged at least 55 people for spying and has arrested almost 100 others on suspicion of espionage
I just wonder if they really caught, "Spies" or are settling scores?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/08/2009 21:18 Comments ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Supporters and opponents of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed in a Tehran square on Saturday evening and some cars were set on fire, a witness said, in a sign of rising tension ahead of the June 12 election.
The incident took place as rival supporters followed a televised debate between Ahmadinejad and pro-reform challenger Mehdi Karroubi on big screens at Sarv square in northwestern Tehran, the witness told Reuters.
It was the second night of sporadic unrest in the capital, after thousands of supporters of Ahmadinejad and another of his moderate challengers in the presidential election scuffled elsewhere in the capital on Friday evening.
Mainly young supporters of the election hopefuls have poured into the streets of Tehran during evenings as the election approaches, shouting, honking car horns and waving pictures of their candidates.
With more than 60 percent of Iranians under the age of 30, their votes will be crucial.
Ahmadinejad is being challenged by former parliamentary speaker Karroubi, former Prime Minister Mirhossein Mousavi, and the conservative former head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaie.
Mousavi, a moderate who is hoping to win votes from both reformers and conservatives, is seen as Ahmadinejad's main opponent in the election.
In a heated debate, Ahmadinejad and Karroubi traded allegations on issues ranging from the economy of the world's fifth-largest oil exporter to Iran's foreign relations and views on the Holocaust and Zionism.
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Posted by: Fred ||
06/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[Iran Press TV Latest] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he has the honor to fluently speak the Azari language with Azari-speaking Iranians in different parts of the country. "During my eight-year mission in Ardebil province, I learnt one of the best and most complete languages -- Azari -- and can easily speak it," Ahmadinejad said in an address to people of the northwestern city of Tabriz on Sunday. Oh, yeah? Well, B.O. can speak Austrian!
His remarks come as presidential campaigns in Iran are in full gear ahead of the June 12 polls.
He also criticized those who sacrificed the Islamic Revolution as well as the Iranian nation for their own interests.
"We shoulder the responsibility of moving forward with the development of Iran and believe that this improvement should be made on a just basis," said the president.
"Certain extremists and selfish individuals insult the Iranian people while justice is supposed to be established and the national wealth distributed equally among the nation," he added.
Ahmadinejad, who seeks re-election, defended the foreign policy of his government.
"I will act as the symbol of power and bravery of the Iranian nation against bullying powers. I will never bow to the enemy not even one iota," he said.
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Posted by: Fred ||
06/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[11139 views]
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#1
Until Dinnerjacket can speak Teleprompterese, he ain't got nutin'.
[Al Arabiya Latest] Polling centers closed at 4:00 p.m. GMT on Sunday in Lebanon's hotly contested general election that could see an alliance led by the Shiite group Hezbollah defeat the Western-backed majority in parliament.
Those inside voting centers by their closing time would be allowed to cast a ballot, after people turned out in masses to vote in the crucial parliamentary election.
Voter turnout reached 53 percent, higher than the 45 percen turnout registered in the 2005 elections, Lebanon's interior minister said after polls closed.
Voting took place amid heavy security measures with the army and police deployed in force throughout the country, preventing any outbreak of violence between the two camps.
The election is expected to be a tight race for the 128-seat parliament between coalitions at odds over issues including the fate of Hezbollah's powerful army and relations with neighboring Syria, which had forces in Lebanon until 2005.
Some polls forecast a narrow victory for Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, and its allies, including Christian leader Michel Aoun.
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Posted by: Fred ||
06/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[11130 views]
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MP Walid Jumblat on Sunday firmly warned against a policy of "isolation against the others" in case of a March 14 victory and called for the "joint" implementation of the Taef Accord. In an interview with LBC, Jumblat said: "We voted and we still have faith in the project of the state and aspire for its success. But in case of a March 14 victory we must not isolate the others. Beware of the deadly mistake of isolation."
Jumblat described the use of veto power in government as "an invention that does not exist in the constitution."
"The last time we made a mistake by accepting veto power for the president. Let us abide by the joint implementation of the Taef's provisions," he said.
Jumblat said a government of national unity was a "necessity and was conditioned by a March 14 victory."
"The president cannot fulfill his role if he does not have the power to sack a minister by a unilateral decision. The Taef must not remain a means to cripple the government."
Jumblat said a government of national unity was a "necessity and was conditioned by a March 14 victory."
He said the Chouf did not witness "an electoral battle rather a vote for a political platform."
Jumblat cautioned against the breakout of tensions in Aley "regardless of the outcome of the elections."
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Posted by: Fred ||
06/08/2009 00:00 ||
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Yeah, all will be cool in the land of sore losers...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
06/08/2009 0:02 Comments ||
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Hezbolaah is a loser no matter what. In what democatic power do they believe in anyways?
1:45am Near-final results show March 14 coalition won parliamentary elections and MP Saad Hariri congratulated fellow Lebanese citizens.
12:51am Jumblat via Future TV called on PSP supporters to refrain from celebrations in the event election results show a clear victory for March 14 forces.
12:42am Future TV: Celebrations in Tripoli over March 14 victory.
12:31am PM Saniora: What happened today is a victory for the logic of the state.
12:32am FPM announced its list has won the Jezzine district.
12:30am FPM announced its list is winning in the northern Metn.
12:28am The opposition confirmed that it won the three seats in Zgharta.
12:24am A March 14 official to AFP: Indications so far are that our camp will maintain its majority in parliament.
12:12am NBN: The entire opposition list won in Baalbeck-Hermel.
12:02am Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil to LBC: We made all this effort to take the Lebanese towards mutual understanding and not towards confrontation.
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The March 14 alliance clinched around 70 out of 128 seats, maintaining its majority in parliament after defeating the Hizbullah-led alliance in Sunday's crucial elections. Celebrations broke out in several cities as television stations began airing preliminary results.
The opposition confirmed defeat. "We have lost the election," said a senior politician close to the March 8 alliance. "We accept the result as the will of the people."
They must really have been beaten ...
MP Hassan Fadlallah reiterated Hizbullah's calls for "national partnership" and said the March 8 alliance is reacting "positively" to the outcome of the elections. "Hizbullah considers Lebanon to be founded on diversity and pluralism not on majority and minority. No side can obtain majority in all the sects," Fadlallah told Agence France Presse.
Counting of votes continued well past midnight in Metn, Kesrouan and Baabda districts.
More than half the country's 3.2 million eligible voters queued at polling stations to cast their ballots. Preliminary estimates put turnout at more than 54%, well above the 45.8% recorded in the 2005 election. "Voter turnout exceeded all expectations," Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said after polls closed at 7:00 pm. The highest turnout was in Kesrouan district at 70%. Turnout was at 65% in Metn and Jbeil, 60% in Batroun and 63% in Akkar, Baroud said.
The vote that started at 7:00 am took place amid heavy security measures with the army and police deployed in force throughout the country to prevent any outbreak of violence.
President Michel Suleiman was among the first to cast his vote in Amsheet. "I call on all citizens to exercise their democratic role quietly and happily," he said. "The president backs all candidates...we have to preserve democracy."
A steady stream of vehicles headed south, north or east from Beirut on highways to outlying parts of the country early Sunday morning, carrying voters to hometowns. Some vehicles had flags of political groups fluttering to show loyalty.
More than 200 international observers from the European Union, the Carter Center and other institutions and countries oversaw the election. Speaking at a polling station in Ashrafiyeh, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter expressed hope the U.S., Iran and other countries "will accept the results of the election and not try to interfere in the process."
There were widespread complaints about delays in the process, forcing voters to stand in lines. Baroud asked people to be patient. He said he was satisfied with the way polling had proceeded but would be even happier if all political parties accepted the outcome once it is announced.
"Grosso modo I am satisfied with the way the vote took place," he said. "But I will be more satisfied if everything goes well once the results are in.
"The election was a challenge that many doubted would take place. But Lebanon's political factions and the Lebanese met the challenge."
In the outgoing parliament, the pro-Western March 14 bloc had 70 seats and Hizbullah's alliance had 58. Voters chose 125 candidates after 3 contenders have won the elections uncontested.
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Posted by: Steve White ||
06/08/2009 00:00 ||
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[11134 views]
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#1
As of this am EDT, the seat count is up to 71 for the March 14 (anti Syria) alliance.
On the other hand Hezbollah still has heavy weapons.
Posted by: Lord garth ||
06/08/2009 9:45 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Al Arabiya Latest] Supporters and opponents of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed in a Tehran square on Saturday evening and some cars were set on fire, a witness said, in a sign of rising tension ahead of the June 12 election.
