| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Chalabi Urges Fast Interim Setup in Iraq |
| 2003-04-10 |
| KUWAIT CITY - An Iraqi opposition leader urged the U.S.-led interim administration Wednesday to leave the Kuwait City hotel where it has been working on plans to run the country and move quickly into Iraq. With an eye on taking power after a transition, several prominent Iraqis are planning a meeting of political factions in the southern city of Nasiriyah to lay the foundations of what could become a provisional government. The head of the interim administration, retired U.S. Gen. Jay Garner, will attend the meeting, due to be held sometime after Saturday, according to aides to Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington. The rapid collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime was leaving Iraq with a power vacuum filled only the U.S. and British military. Garner's interim administration plans to coordinate humanitarian assistance, rebuild infrastructure shattered by years of war and economic sanctions and start the process toward a democratic government. But concrete details of how he will assert his authority — and the future role of the Iraqi opposition — remain elusive. Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the exile Iraqi National Congress, was mobbed Wednesday in Nasiriyah by thousands of people cheering the collapse of Saddam's government. This guy has 'klepto' written all over him. Chalabi told CNN in a phone interview that Garner's group — which has been gradually moving out of the Hilton Resort in Kuwait City into southern Iraq — needed to get inside quickly and help restore law and order and bring humanitarian aid to suffering people. "Where is General Garner now?" Chalabi said. "The U.S. troops have defeated Saddam militarily. That was never a problem. The issue is the Baath party and the remnants of the Baath party who will continue to pose a threat. And those people will continue to have some influence as long as there is no electricity, no security and no water." In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Garner's whereabouts were unimportant and that his team was working on rebuilding the country, helping to bring in aid and restore electricity in the southern province of Basra. "The United States is not going to stay in that country and occupy it," Rumsfeld said. Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress said the Nasiriyah meeting was intended to build a wider following for a roadmap drawn up last month in northern Iraq by several groups. The challenge for the exiles is to build power bases as soon as possible before local leaders already inside the country emerge. Already, British forces in Basra have selected a local tribal leader to form a committee representing local interests. There goes one post. It was not clear what members of the fractured opposition would be there. Salah al-Sheikly, a London-based member of the U.S.-backed Iraqi National Accord, said representatives of his group would attend. Other guests would include "tribal leaders, religious clerics and Iraqi dignitaries who were not involved" in Saddam's regime, he said. How about a few who survived prison? Chalabi's group said earlier the Nasiriyah meeting would be held Saturday, but Cheney's aides said it would happen sometime after that, with the exact date to be determined according to events. Chalabi has been at the U.S.-controlled Tallil Air Base near Nasiriyah for the past three days. He and other exile leaders supported by the Pentagon have gradually been brought into the country and will clearly form part of what is expected to become a U.S.-picked consultative body of Iraqis that will advise the Americans on running the country. The roadmap that was decided last month calls for a provisional government that would work with the coalition military forces, negotiate their eventual withdrawal and eventually be replaced by a permanent government chosen by democratic elections. Officials in Chalabi's group, however, suggested Wednesday that the idea of an immediate provisional government had been overtaken by the U.S.-proposed consultative group. Voices within the exiled Iraqi opposition have called in recent weeks for having Iraq administered by the United Nations, a stance pushed by France, Germany and Russia, which opposed the war. Wonder who put them up to that? Faisal Chalabi, Chalabi's nephew and spokesman in Kuwait City, said the U.N. role should be limited to providing aid and technical expertise. Several Security Council countries had "vested interests" in the fallen Baath regime, he said. Faisal's on his game at least. Ahmed al-Haboubi, a former minister in the government toppled by the Baath Party's 1968 coup, said celebrations like those seen in Baghdad on Wednesday should wait until a democratic government is elected to replace Saddam's regime. Al-Haboubi, who was elected Tuesday to the leadership of a new Iraqi opposition group, and many liberal-minded Iraqi exiles say they share a common worry: that their long struggle against Saddam will be in vain if his regime is replaced by opportunists who would only do America's bidding. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #13 Chalabi has been actively seeking the end of Saddam's regime for a VERY long time - first from within the Kurdish held area, then from exile. He was involved in a failed coup attempt in 1995, which also involved several high ranking members of the Iraqi military. The attempt was largely botched by interference from Masud Barzani of the KDP (who has been accused of being far too concerned with his own clan as opposed to the welfare of Iraqi Kurdistan). It has been suggested that Barzani was involved in the back-door sale of oil to the Turks under trade sanctions, and did not want to upset the status quo by bringing Saddam down (whether or not he had killed thousands of Barzani's people). Chalabi tried to win US support for the uprising, but our government was of course too busy making sure Bill was not seen getting his jollies on with interns to throw some support behind the Kurds and get rid of Saddam in 95... pity - it could have been done from within -- 7 or 8 years ago... Don't count Chalabi out - even if the US govt doesn't want him involved - the man is a survivor and definitely has vision -- and I don't get the impression he wants to strongarm or hoodwink anyone... I think he feels that, as a longtime advocate of the Iraqi people (particularly the Kurds) while in exile, he is entitled to some voice in the new organization of Iraq. I think we would do well to at least give him an ear - he knows the local politics, the Kurdish leaders, the Arab mindset, AND something about how democracies work... |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-04-10 20:34:46 |
| #12 Get lots of reasonable folks together and let them hash it out. Supply reference materials - US Constitution, Magna Carta, Federalist Papers, etc, etc. Hell, throw in Marx and "Engles" (heh) too, what the hell. And I'd personally buy them lots of arabic translations of RA Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"... |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-04-10 16:57:08 |
| #11 The US should set up a system very similar to post-war Federal Republic of Germany. We've got very indendent states getting along in a Federal structure and you've got Chancelors (power) and a President (figurehead) and a multi-party parliament (gridlock but everyones got a voice). Let Chalabi be the President for the first two years or so while the ex-General takes the Chancelor position and makes the real decisions. Makes sure the Chancelor has veto power over the Parliament, at least until the year or so before the country is ready and the position goes up for election and the Yanks settle down into just having a base or two in the region. Another solid benifit of the German system is that it was open-ended regarding the states. East Germany was able to link up easily enough. The same system could allow a quick addition of Syria if they don't learn to keep their heads down. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-04-10 14:13:30 |
| #10 Yes Chalabi has made enemies at State and CIA. Ditto in Jordan re his bank, but it all could have been a set-up by Hussein (former king, I mean) People should read interesting articles about Chalabi in, I believe, New Yorker or Vanity Fair (or both) from early 2002 for more info. |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-04-10 13:44:21 |
| #9 liberalhawk- I agree Chalabi should have an opportunity to earn the trust of the Iraqi people. I also think that Hoagland is on point more often than just about any other pundit...which tells me that there are a lot of envious bastards out there trying to bring Chalibi low. Indeed, that is politics. |
| Posted by: defscribe 2003-04-10 12:23:41 |
| #8 Chalabi wants to set something up before State and the UN freeze him out, I think. See Hoaglands piece on Chalabi in the WaPo. He is Shiite (the Saudis and their pals dont like that) he is a friend to DoD (Saudis, State, CIA, dont like that). Yeah hes not an experienced administrator (was Karzai?) yeah some people in Iraq dont like him (thats the nature of politics, you make enemies) and some have challenged his integrity (though many of them have agendas) Lets not let the guy set himself up as big boss, but lets give him the chance to place himself and his organization before Iraqis and take a role in rebuilding. Lets see how he does. He seems at least as deserving of a "vital role" as the UN. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-10 09:39:59 |
| #7 The negative PR campaign against Chalabi appears to be orchestrated by State and its "friends" (that is, the Arab elites, particularly in Soddiland)... Pardon me if I don't believe a word they say. |
| Posted by: someone 2003-04-10 09:35:48 |
| #6 If there's one thing we DON'T need, it's to unwittingly sow the seeds of future problems. It is soo so important to get it right even at interim government stage. Start as you mean to continue. Make it clean with nice clear rules and keep the US military there to establish civil order/conventions/constitution even. |
| Posted by: anon1 2003-04-10 09:14:09 |
| #5 What's with the snide "Where is General Garner now?" crap, too? Sounds like this guy is just ready to bite the hand that's been feeding him. Maybe we need to fill that hand with a rolled-up newspaper and send him back to obedience school. |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-04-10 08:16:35 |
| #4 Have you ever gone to buy a car and the salesman forces you to make a snap decision because the super great deal he's offering is only available today. This is how I feel about Mr. Chalabi. The fact that Mr. Chalabi wants 'fast Interim setup' so badly makes me nervous... |
| Posted by: -----------<<<<- 2003-04-10 07:38:07 |
| #3 Chalabi was convicted of fraud in Jordan but nobody in the US knows whether or not the conviction was bogus. The man's father was on the board of directors of one of the big pre Baath corporations (as were Sunnis, Shia, Jews and Christians by the way). He could be living comfortably in the US if he wanted to rather than going back to the uncertainty of the old country. On the downside, I'm told he can get arrogant, he has enemies, he makes misjudgements. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-04-10 07:17:19 |
| #2 [Likely Saddam successor has controversial past] I already don't like this guy. I think that nice doctor who helped save Private Lynch should be given the job. That guy is educated, moderate, has lived in Iraq through the Saddam era and survived, risked his life to save a foreigner, bla, bla, bla; you get what I'm saying. He's everything that Chalabi isn't. There are a lot of good people inside Iraq who aren't infected with baathism and are quite capable of doing the job. |
| Posted by: rg117 2003-04-10 06:57:19 |
| #1 I haven't been keeping up with the skinny on Chalabi, so perhaps someone here can answer--why haven't we found someone other than a felon/scam artist to head up Iraq? What's so compelling about Chalabi that he can't be replaced by someone with a clean record? |
| Posted by: Bent Pyramid 2003-04-10 06:24:24 |