Pro-West March 14 Coalition Wins in Surprise Victory over Hardline March 8 Coalition in Lebanese Parliamentary Elections

An American-backed alliance appeared to retain control of the Lebanese Parliament on Sunday in a hotly contested election that had been billed as a showdown between Tehran and Washington for influence in the Middle East.

Preliminary results reported on Lebanese television showed the alliance, known as the March 14 coalition, had managed to preserve its majority in Parliament. If those results are confirmed, they would represent a significant and

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/middlee...