Liz Sly: investigative journalist

"Few Western journalists were granted visas to cover the event, making it hard to ascertain the turnout or the authenticity of the scenes of exuberant crowds thronging polling stations that were broadcast on state television. "   No, Ms. Sly: all those people were forced to sign and dance under the threat of a gun. You believe that and you have believed that all along and that is why this week was an embarrassment to your reporting and to the reporting to most of your colleagues in Beirut who have insisted for three years that only SOME `Alawites support Bashshar and that he stays in power by Hizbullah forces.  But wait: if you needed to be on the ground to check whether those cheering people were real or not, why did you not do that in Lebanon when you decided that a rumor was responsible for the crowds cheering for Asad.