In case your head hasn't exploded yet, a report that talks about Saudi media influence on Iran

[EFerrari]

and this election. Saudis were running against Ahmadinejad:

http://www.linktv.org/mosaic/mir

[Hannah Bell]

1. kick. saudi royal family = biggest owner of al arabiyah media.

the unbiased "middle eastern media" folks here tout.

the other is al jazeera, staffed by former bbc personnel & funded by the qatar royal family; qatar being HQ & launching pad during bush's iraq war.

"freedom" (TM)

[Old and In the Way]

3. Kingdom Holdings has large positions in CNN and NewsCorp.

I think they are or were the #2 investor in NewsCorp. Makes you wonder about how that influences the reporting/commentary on Fox News.

[H2O Man]

2. Nominated.

Very interesting. Important information. Thanks.

[slipslidingaway]

4. thanks knr....text is at the Huffington link

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

snip>>

"...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..."

[EFerrari]

22. Thank you for posting that!

:hi:

[KoKo]

5. Thanks that was a fascinating watch at Link TV.. and,

in case you missed yesterday's GPS with Fahreed Zakaria, you might want to watch this link of his panel on the Iranian Election. It was fascinating. He didn't mention the Saudi's...but the panel's conclusion (with two Iranians and Nicholas Burns) was very interesting in their conclusions about Akmadinejad perhaps being more of a reformer than Mousavi the "candidate for change."

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/06/14/gps.panel.on.iran.cnn



I notice that Professor Juan Cole has an article up where he states the election was stolen.

http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html

Who knows? I'm sure not only the Saudi's but US interests had a big hand in that election. And both were probably throwing a lot of money and influence around.

[EFerrari]

9. Thank you for the link.. I will watch it!

[KoKo]

12. Well...this is Amy Goodman's wrap with two Iranians who have written books..

http://www.democracynow.org/

It all get's very confusing, doesn't it?

[slipslidingaway]

6. kick nt

[bluesmail]

7. This further complicates the so-called election. Saudi Arabia isn't scared

to use force to get who they want in power. No telling what their move will be. JMO

[starroute]

8. I've been wondering about Saudi intluence on the US anti-Iran faction

The Neocon opposition to Iran is obviously Israel-based. But there's also a considerable group of ex-military and counter-terrorism types whose constant beating of the anti-Iran drums has never quite made sense to me.

Something a few months ago suggested Saudi influence was at work -- and seemed to tie it in particularly with the presence of several of those Pentagon pundits on Fox News. I'm thinking specifically of Vallely and McInerney, who are both involved with the MEK-supporting Iran Policy Committee.

There are very deep and complex connections at work here, but it's been a consistent pattern since the 70's that Israel and the Saudis are often on the same side when it comes to US policy towards Iran. Both are afraid of the rise of more radical Islamic regimes and both are dead set against the possibility of Iran becoming a regional power. (Which is really what all the hoo-hah over atomic weapons is about.)

In any case, even aside from the current situation, the Saudi influence on US policy towards Iran is really crying out for deeper examination.

[EFerrari]

10. My process has been very similar to yours. And after learning

how much money the Saudis poured into the elections in Lebanon, a new little window has been opened fr me. Like it or not, Iran is a regional power and I expect those people will be the object of manipulations from multiple directions for the foreseeable future.

[KoKo]

11. And...that so much of the country is Persian...and not Arab..

and that the Persians were remembered for being helpers to the Jews far back in history. Yet, I've read articles that the Saudi's are now more aligned with Israel (maybe through US support in keeping Israel strong) than the Persians, because of oil interests and the Saudi's being brokers. :shrug:

[robertpaulsen]

13. Recommended and bookmarked. This is important info to keep tabs on.

It's important, as with any major crisis, to follow the money and ask who the real beneficiaries are. My fear is that this is just another case example of disaster capitalism in action as reflected in Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine. We shall see.

[KoKo]

17. Yes...so many "interests" vying for power with "high rollers/low rollers" ALL

in the Mix....

It's worth it to keep reporting from every site we know of (aside from CNN) to try to get a grip on what's going on there.

[EFerrari]

21. Well, there is no going back, it seems.

But I agree that it does matter to track the money and to think about who benefits even while wishing the Iranian people well in sorting out their election.

[scarletwoman]

26. I posted about this yesterday, the Mousavi movement has all the markings of a NED "color revolution"

- insertion of operatives (check)
- "color" (check)
- facebook, cellphone, fax, email, students (check)
- polarization (check)
- street protests (check)
- pre-printed English language posters (check)

Obviously, the English language posters and placards are for the benefit of the international media, and are a smart tactic. So, hard to say if that's strictly a NED-influenced idea.

And this is certainly not to say the Iranians aren't genuinely stirred up by their own authentic desire for freedom. Mousavi, however, is a "Free Marketeer" who advocates privatization and an end to government subsidies for the poor and working class. To me, he sounds rather like a good friend to the disaster capitalists.

All very interesting, isn't it...

sw

[robertpaulsen]

28. Great analysis, scarletwoman!

I agree completely that there is a genuine outcry for freedom occurring in Iran, but unfortunately they may be exploited by the Mousavi/Rafsanjani team jockeying for power. Which outside power could they be colluding with to guarantee control in the midst of chaos? I think you're right; the NED is the best bet at this time.

[Truth2Tell]

14. Recommended.

Much more here than we are seeing so far.

[Wednesdays]

15. K&R

:kick:

[KoKo]

16. ...

[JuniperLea]

18. This is by far the most interesting tidbit in this whole enchilada!

Excellent find!

I have been finding it increasingly difficult to slice through this mess. This raises more questions than it answers, but it makes it a lot easier to get my heart out of the way of my head, that's for sure.

EFerrari: Leaving no heads un-exploded since 2004! LOL!


Edited to say: I'm sure we still only see the tip of this iceberg.

[KoKo]

19. It's good to hear different sides to CNN/MSNBC/NPR's Version, isn't it..

But, it takes work.

[EFerrari]

20. LOL! This is what happens when you're up too late

worrying about people in foreign countries.

:rofl:

[KoKo]

23. Vigilance...and bags under the eyes are the price to pay to try to keep the "truth" known...

wherever and whatever rock it lies under and whichever worm is unturned under that rock that speaks it.

Thanks for your effort. Some here will watch the links and think further. That's the best one can hope for.

If only I owned a SPA...I'd send free coupons to the DU'ers who make the effort to inform rather than snark, feed the MSM and Troll.

:-) Witch Hazel...it still works if one can find the real stuff.

[scarletwoman]

24. Thank you! This is why I'm such a contrary old crank -- there's always more than meets the eye.

I think what people have trouble "getting" is that there really is a (relatively speaking) small group of interconnected powerful people behind the scenes continually working to manipulate events in the geopolitical sphere.

Simplistic binary thinking -- white hat vs. black hat -- is a huge impediment to seeing the truth.

Rec'd,
sw

[EFerrari]

25. Myself, I was apparently born that way. lol

[scarletwoman]

27. *kick* (nt)