Summary
Saudi Arabia is not ashamed of any of the information revealed in the secret documents published by WikiLeaks earlier this month, which included revelations of financial support to Lebanese politicians and media who promised to promote Riyadh's interests, the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon said Tuesday.
The leaked documents, which the kingdom had urged media and individuals against publishing, revealed that prominent Lebanese politicians and media had sought millions of dollars from Riyadh, with many promising to push Saudi policies in return.
Saudi officials never explicitly challenged the authenticity of the documents, and Asiri's comments Tuesday indicated that they are in fact genuine.
Another document revealed that then-Kataeb Party chief Amine Gemayel was seeking Saudi Arabia's permission to visit Syria and accept the Syrian government's efforts to restore relations with his party.
The document -- a letter from Asiri to Faisal -- mentioned that Gemayel would abide by the "king's personal instructions" and would not take any action except "under King Abdullah's command".
Other cables were focused on the money dynamics between Saudi Arabia and Lebanese media.
One document showed that the kingdom accepted to fund Lebanese TV channel MTV with $2 million in four installments of $500,000 .
Another document also showed how Lebanese media personality May Chidiac requested Saudi funding for her Media Academy.
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