At last, good news coming out of Iraq!
And this time, we’re not even being sarcastic! MSNBC reports:
U.S. troops, Iraqi police raid Chalabi’s home
Arrest warrants issued for 16 affiliated with Iraqi National Congress
NBC News and news services — Updated: 6:52 a.m. ET May 20, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq – U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police raided the residence of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday, and aides accused the Americans of trying to pressure him to stop complaining about U.S. plans for Iraq after sovereignty is transferred at the end of next month.
NBC news has learned that an Iraqi judge issued arrest warrants for 16 people affiliated with Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress. The raid is said to be related to alleged financial misdealings at the end of last year during the conversion from Saddam-era dinars to new Iraqi dinars.
There was no comment from U.S. authorities, but American officials here have complained privately that Chalabi is interfering with a U.S. investigation into allegations that Saddam Hussein’s regime skimmed millions in oil revenues during the U.N.-run oil-for-food program. [Emphasis added]
Booyah! (Thanks to Blair for the link.)
Added: An instant classic from Roger Ailes. Go read it now.
Stuff him in a car trunk (the way he snuck out of Jordan) and send him back to Amman.
No Amber Pawler for Ahmad.
So, only a few months ago Chalabi was a great friend of the coalition, and now he’s being raided and a gun is being held to his head by coalition soldiers. This sounds oddly familiar – almost like the story of his old enemy, Saddam, who was a great friend of the American government during his war on Iran until he decided to go against our orders. Well, considering the circumstances here, there’s probably a similar story. I was curious what Chalabi did to piss us off, and I came up with a few reasons.
Firstly, he made the grave mistake of questioning U.S. tactics and
Also, a Chalabi aide made their objections to the coalition’s plans known. There’s likely much more to the story than all of this, but these articles and others hint at Chalabi’s fall from grace in the eyes of the coalition and provide good insight to Chalabi’s mistakes. It just goes to show, once again, that if you fuck with the United State’s occupations, you don’t get to fuck with them for long.
Finally, Andrew Cockburn says that Chalabi was planning a Coup.
chalabi is not one to be trusted with other peoplies’ money.
peoples peoples peoples 3 out of 4 isn’t too bad.
Perhaps it’s the last day of June, 1934.
I cannot stop laughing. This is better than an interactive dinner theater murder mystery.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
Happy?
I will not misspel Amber Pawlik’s name again.
It’s ok Richard, our hands shake too when we write about Amber.
It’s a con – they’re trying to make him look good to the Iraqis before the June 30th pullout.
But he’s still likely to end up hanging from a lamppost somewhere if he stays.
A tissue, somebody.