Raid the Chalabi

I'm not even gonna guess what is going on with this development. But unusual silence among the Chalabists.

Comments

[Amy Phillips]

I read the National Review piece on Chalabi linked here, and what struck me was the total lack of attention to the views ordinary Iraqis have of this man. Regardless of how many leaders respect him, word on the Arab street is that he's a criminal, and U.S. support for him was widely used as evidence that we are morally bankrupt and don't care about the welfare of Iraq. That alone should be enough to make us abandon him.

[CharlesWT]

In dawn raids today, American troops surrounded Ahmed Chalabi's headquarters and home in Baghdad, put a gun to his head, arrested two of his aides, and seized documents. Only five months ago, Chalabi was a guest of honor sitting right behind Laura Bush at the State of the Union. What brought about this astonishing fall from grace of the man who helped provide the faked intelligence that justified last year's war?

The answer lies in Chalabi's reaction to his gradual loss of US support in recent months and the realisation that he will be excluded from the post June 30 Iraqi "government" being crafted by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. The Truth About Ahmed Chalabi: Why the US Turned Against Their Former Golden Boy -- He was Preparing a Coup! What He Did as a Catspaw for Tehran: How He Nearly Bankrupted Jordan; the Billions He Stands to Make Out of the New Iraq

[CharlesWT]

In dawn raids today, American troops surrounded Ahmed Chalabi's headquarters and home in Baghdad, put a gun to his head, arrested two of his aides, and seized documents. Only five months ago, Chalabi was a guest of honor sitting right behind Laura Bush at the State of the Union. What brought about this astonishing fall from grace of the man who helped provide the faked intelligence that justified last year's war?

The answer lies in Chalabi's reaction to his gradual loss of US support in recent months and the realisation that he will be excluded from the post June 30 Iraqi "government" being crafted by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. The Truth About Ahmed Chalabi: Why the US Turned Against Their Former Golden Boy -- He was Preparing a Coup! What He Did as a Catspaw for Tehran: How He Nearly Bankrupted Jordan; the Billions He Stands to Make Out of the New Iraq

[thoreau]

I'll congratulate Bush for finally correcting this mistake around the same time that I pin a medal on my loser cousin for paying child support for the 5 or 6 kids he's fathered by as many women.

I figure that fixing your mistakes is an act of responsibility that should just be taken for granted, not something that should require mea culpa's from said mistake-fixer's critics.

But, since conservatives seem to believe that taking responsibility deserves rewards rather than an old-fashioned "Duh! Of course you're supposed to do that, idiot!" here goes:

Hey, cousin Robert. I'd like to applaud the way that you pay child support for the 5 or 6 (to the best of my knowledge) illegitimate children that you've fathered by as many women. It used to be that I would take this for granted, but at the behest of conservatives I will now regard personal responsibility as something special, not as a norm. Anyway, kudos for paying child support, and kudos for going several months without beating or molesting any of them. Here's your gold star with glitter and stickers.

And Mr. President, congratulations for finally cracking down on the crooked thug that you listened to uncritically and nearly foisted on the Iraqi people. It is truly remarkable how you finally did the right thing after a few years of screwing up. I kiss your ass and salute you.

[Gadfly]

To all those congratulating Bush for coming to his senses, Rummy was asked about the situation today and he said he didn't know anything about it beforehand. If he didn't know, chances are Bush didn't, either.

Sounds like a local police action against a common crook. If they would have run this operation up the flag pole beforehand I bet this would be a different story.

[steve]

Here is a snippet from the NR piece:

"The State Department, Central Intelligence Agency, and the experts associated with them believe that Chalabi is a small-time opportunist and playboy trying to use his position in the INC to make something for himself. They recognize that he is intelligent and charming, but believe that he is of dubious integrity and without the qualities required for leadership and respect in the Arab world, or the strength to lead either a revolution or a new government."

I suppose this is the same CIA that said the case for WMD was a "slam dunk"?

How much more evidence do we need that (insert preferred guilty party here) has no idea: how the folks in the Middle East operate, what motivates them, how we should negotiate with them, when we should be tough/soft, how to tell when they are lying, etc., etc., etc.?

[Mo]

steve,
You do know that Chalabi was one of the main reasons why the WMD case was a "slam dunk"?

[steve]

My point exactly, the CIA made the slam dunk WMD case based on evidence it got from a guy they believed (according to the NR writer) to be "...a small-time opportunist and playboy trying to use his position in the INC to make something for himself. They recognize that he is intelligent and charming, but believe that he is of dubious integrity...".

So, did the CIA use information from Chalabi so that it could dupe the President into invading Iraq? Was the CIA duped by Chalabi?

[Todd Fletcher]

But I will guess! I think we're getting ready to dump him. If he was an asset, whatever corruption he engaged in would get the winked at.

[zorel]

I am waiting for the Chalabi-bashers to praise the Administration for this action.

[Gary Gunnels]

zorel,

Why? Praising them for finally stopping something they should never have done in the first place - placing any trust in this slimeball - doesn't seem merited.

"Hey, you acted like an idiot for several years; now we should praise you for finally coming to your senses!"

[joe]

The theoriticians behind the Invasion ->Democratization theory intended this man to become the president of Iraq.

This initiative has been doomed from the start, but Doug, I will praise the admin and its supporters for taking some tentative steps towards getting a clue.

[stinky]

National Review should have the "Chalabi had to go" piece up any day. I assume it will follow the "Bush is just so damn loyal it sometimes hurts him" line. Vomit.

[zorel]

Gary,

may be "support" instead of "praise" - since that is the course of action anti-Chalabists suggested/demanded, they ought to support it. But sure as NR will comeup with something like 'stinky' predicted, the anti-Bush folks will comeup with something that will damn Bush for doing what they said should be done.

[Gary Gunnels]

zorel,

Oh yeah; I support sending Chalabi to Jordan where he can serve out his jail sentence.

[Josh]

The theoriticians behind the Invasion ->Democratization theory intended this man to become the president of Iraq.

All of them, joe?

[stinky]

agreed, zorel. The Bush bashers will say "See! this proves Bush is an idiot." Don't expect any of that crowd to say "Well, at least he is correcting his mistakes." Chalabi was a mistake from the get go. But better to cut him off now than pretend it was not an error... Let's hope this is a sign that Bush can admit his whole Iraqi project was a mistake. Stinky is not holding his breath.

[zorel]

Gary,

Ah, the complete confidence in the criminal justice system of Jordan!

Next time when some of our friends here trash Jordan (along with Saudi/Egypt/Syria), I will be looking for you to support Jordan. Please don't disappoint me.

[joe]

Oops, I meant zorel.

Oh, the dirties cop on my city's force didn't beat up anyone today. I'm going to give him a fucking medal.

[Gary Gunnels]

zorel,

Jordan is not Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Syria.

[joe]

"All of them, joe?"

Well, the ones who hold office and are directing our Iraq policy.

[anonymous coward]

Who says we're not backing him anymore? Maybe we're just raiding his house to give him some street cred with the America-hating rabble, eh?

Yeah, I know, conspirary theories. But hey, we know nothing. Why not have some fun?

[joe]

coward,

That's just what they want you to think.

[joe]

CIA estimates of the Iraqi WMD threat (basically, that there was none) were repeatedly dismissed by the White House. The Vice President sat in a room with low- and mid-livel analysts and told them...something. A "Team B" was created for the purpose of generating more hawkish intelligence than that coming out the CIA. Even a cursory stroll through the NRO archives will show how out of line the professional intelligence community was with the White House's neocon fantasies.

Do not try to pawn off the hyped, bullshit WMD scare stories on the career CIA, and do not equate that pathetic toady Tenet with the people he was put in charge of.