Question about Chalabi:

[Lungs]

Was he an Iranian spy?

I'm not sure why the admin turned on him.

Finding out that Chalalabi is an Iranian spy is like finding out Cheney is really a Democrat.

On Edit: (Not that I would want to be in the same party as Dick.)

[spanone]

1. Can't blame Chalibi for whatever he is. I blame this administration

for listening to him. NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYFUCKINGTHING IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. SHAME ON US.

[the Kelly Gang]

2. the plot to this story is so deep, I'm mystified

[Sparkly]

3. There were plenty of reasons from the start

for the Chimp and his buddies NOT to trust Chalabi. For one thing, the Iraqi people didn't -- that's enough.

[chookie]

4. They must have known

I'm not sure the ADMINISTRATION turned on him -- what seems to be happening is "civil war" between the CIA and State Dept against the NeoCons. The Bush administration have been got on camera with their arms around this guy -- perhaps what they are planning to do, given the disastrous course of US involvement in Iraq, is to blame everything on Chalabi, which would be a convenient fiction. However, the NeoCons are not going to let this happen easily.

The CIA had to have known about his association with the Iranians since the 80s. He was so helpful to them during the Iran/Iraq War that Ayatollah Khomeni himself autographed a Koran for him. He was so useful to the CIA during Bush the First's Oil War that they turned a blind eye to his links to Iran.

It got more serious when Chalabi was found to be producing fake evidence, with the goal of manipulating of US foreign policy. It was this fakery that led to the invasion and occupation of Iraq under His Chimperial Highness. He produced a number of men who claimed to be insiders -- one was proclaimed "Saddam's Bomb Maker" -- Khidhir Hamza -- who wrote a book and was paraded on a media blitz; others claimed to have knowledge of hidden weapons.

But the point of no return came when Chalabi was found out to have been preparing a coup. He is disgruntled that he was not anointed as Iraq's new leader by the US. He was working to put together a Shia coalition to destabilize the post June 30 Iraqi "government" being crafted by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. Chalabi is ruthless, and is prepared to bring the whole thing down if he does not get his way.

[Lungs]

6. Thanks for the summery.

I'm constantly amazed at the complete incompetence of the current administration.

The mind boggles.

[salin]

5. It is very, very murky - but the Iranian connection

in terms of some kind of intel flowing to them, seems to be confirmed. WHAT kind of intel is still murky (some places claimed to be turning over that the US had broken a code used by the IRanians... other places claim that the intel has to do with current US operations in Iraq.)



Certainly a turning on one another - but if you skim the following thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1675445&mesg_id=1675445

- and look at the last installment on from Laura Rozen's website (she is a journalist who writes for The American Progressive, The Nation, etc.) - which is around the bottom of the thread - there has been a meeting with Condi and top neocons... initially said to be at the neocon's request, now reported to be at Condi's request... to warn them (?) and ask them not to attack the admin - according to Rozen who has been following this closely... those involved have been attacking/criticizing - but pointing their barbs at the CIA and DIA - is that an indication of the direction of the Admin?

Note also - a raid on Chalabi's Offices (and reported eviction of the INC staff) has gone down this morning.