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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| Troops surround Chalabi’s house | |
| 2004-05-20 | |
| I won’t comment much on this since I have no idea what exactly went on regarding this incident. BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police surrounded the residence of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday, and an aide said the troops raided the house ostensibly to search for fugitives. The aide, Haidar Musawi, accused the Americans of trying to pressure Chalabi, who was a longtime Pentagon favorite now openly critical of U.S. plans for how much power to transfer to the Iraqis on June 30.
A bit weird, them raiding these offices. snip U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have accused Chalabi of trying to interfere with an investigation into alleged corruption of the U.N.-run oil-for-food program, in which Saddam Hussein’s government was allowed to sell oil despite international sanctions to buy food and humanitarian supplies. ahh...now we’re getting somewhere. I’ll leave the rest of the speculation up to you folks. | |
| Posted by:Valentine |
| #5 Whatever his faults are, Chalabi has been at the forefront even when Gore was pontificating on Iraqi liberation back in mid-90's. Eventhough Clinton admin. didn't back up its words with actions, Chalabi soldiered on. As such, he should not be treated as a vagabond even if he is at a war of words with CPA. If it's all about money he's gotten, have our auditors sit down with his. Otherwise, I hope this is not a clumsy effort by Bush to play the triangulation game. You know, attempt to get on the good graces of an enemy, in this case the UN, by selling out somebody who's been there from the beginning, Chalabi and the INC. The rationale for this kind of action is that the one burned will have no one else to turn to on the other side, a Sadr type, as he has been identified for too long a period with the US officials. We don't need this game. This is a losing strategy. We may not have the finesse to come out of this with both Chalabi and the UN on our side. Plus, we need to shed more light on UNSCAM wrongdoings. Is the quid pro quo that the Ibrahimi will sing our song now? How naive if true. |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-05-20 3:01:17 PM |
| #4 Powell was right! Chalabi is a crook! And, the point is? By the way, liberalhawk, My great-grandfather, union civil war veteran (Private) was technically a carpetbagger (Ohio->Tennessee), but was generaly accepted by the people of town he moved into. "Carpetbaggers" weren't all hated. Just the ones who lorded the North's victory over the South. It was more about the arrogance of the person than original geography. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-20 12:17:05 PM |
| #3 The spin by a spokesman for Chalabi on the radio is that Chalabi is trying to vigorously pursue the Oil for Palaces scandal, but the US (Bremer was named) it trying to impede it. I am at sea regarding this, so can only ait for further clarifications. |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H 2004-05-20 11:59:35 AM |
| #2 technically a carpetbagger was a Northerner who went south after the civil war. Chalabi was born in Iraq, though he spent his adult life in exile. I would be accept the Chalabi is corrupt and getting out of hand, if this werent happening at the same time as the Fallujah deal, getting in bed with Brahimi, and limiting debaathification. It smells of turning things back over to the ex-baathist Sunni Arabs beloved of State and CIA, as a cut and run strategy. It smells very bad. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-05-20 11:00:13 AM |
| #1 Chalabi is the leading advocate of allowing the Governing Council to pursue the oil-for-food scandal. Bremer favors the current investigation by the more independant Surpreme Audit group. Chalabi has his own militia, and has been accused by many Iraiq in-country of corruption. He is also the stereotypical carpetbagger. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-05-20 8:43:07 AM |