CIA: Chalabi Possibly Spied for Iran

FoxNews ^ | 5/20/04 | FoxNews

[wagglebee]

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi (search), once a darling of the American government, may have passed classified U.S. information to Iran, Fox News has confirmed.

U.S. troops and Iraqi police on Thursday suddenly surrounded and raided Chalabi's house — and police also searched offices of his organization, the Iraqi National Congress.

CIA sources told Fox News there are reports that the INC passed information to Iran, but as far as what type of information, the sources said that isn't known for sure.

Defense officials also told Fox News there was speculation that INC members allegedly shared information with Iran (search) and misused funds and property belonging to the Iraqi Governing Council.

[Fifth Business]

Maybe the U.S. is trying to make Chalabi more acceptable to the Iraqi populace by creating a seeming rift.

[HitmanLV]

Is this that bug again?

[GraniteStateConservative]

I don't think it was coincidence that Chalabi apparently aided Iran. He didn't aid any of the Sunni-majority nations-- Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, etc.

[wagglebee]

Follow the money.

Any time we follow the money in politics or foreign affairs it invariably leads to Kofi Annan and/or the Clintons.

[not2worry]

As I have said on these threads before, the guy seemed like a Saddam wannabe from the get-go.

Glad to see action taken now as opposed to his being in place to undermine Iraq after June 30th.

I'd be concerned about what kind of "network" he has here in the USA?

[MJY1288]

I say we deliver him to Jordan, He has already been sentenced to 22 years in prison for fraud by the Jordaian Courts

[MJY1288]

I think there is a lot more to this story than what is on the surface right now. Like you, I never trusted the guy from the jump

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


BillTheDrill,


Wretchard had some interesting comments and obsrvations a few days ago about Rumsfeld's most recent trip to Iraq.

Maybe Chalabi's outster was decided during Rumsfeld's consultations during this trip, perhaps even after the CIA and NSA finally obtained solid evidence against Chalabi.


Here are Wretchard's comments:


Some of the critical decisions in this two front war and their relation to the technical handover of sovereignty to the Iraqis in June may be part of the reason for the recent Rumsfeld visit (my speculation) to Iraq.

Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad on May 13 with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Richard Myers and met with Lt. General Ricardo Sanchez and Ambassador Paul Bremer.

The full purpose of their visit was kept under wraps. "For security reasons, officials are releasing no further details of the visit."

Tea leaf readers will have noted two things about the Rumsfeld visit. He did not meet with CENTCOM CINC General Abizaid and both Rumsfeld and Myers traveled together on an E-4B flying command post.

Rumsfeld and Myers departed for the highly secret mission to Iraq aboard a U.S. Strategic Command E-4B National Airborne Operations Center immediately following their joint testimony to a Senate committee on Capitol Hill May 12.

This was the first time Rumsfeld and Myers had flown together, officials said. The two generally fly aboard separate planes due to security concerns. This was also the first time Rumsfeld has flown aboard the National Airborne Command Center, a modified Boeing 747 jet designed to serve as a survivable mobile command center in a national emergency.

(Speculation alert) It may be that Rumsfeld and Myers were considering an important decision specifically relating to Iraq, one already put forward by Abizaid but requiring an independent assessment, one that required them to stay in touch with the President jointly through the E-4B.

The political storm over prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib and, to a lesser extent the decapitation of Nick Berg, has effaced the really important story in the Iraqi campaign: the US has just beaten back a major counteroffensive by Syria and Iran. Regionally, anticoalition forces mounted major attacks on the Jordanian secret service (using gas) and against targets in Saudi Arabia (a car bomb attack against the Saudi security apparatus).

Within Iraq, simultaneous attacks were launched in April from both the Sunni and Shi'ite lines of departure. While both inflicted some damage, neither stroke has come close to seriously hurting the US position.

It would be natural and not in the least surprising, if Rumsfeld and Myers were not considering what the American riposte should be.



Patton@Bastogne



.

[rightwingcrazy]

I think the Administration reasoned that he may be a crook, but he's *our* crook. A gamble.

[Billthedrill]

The political storm over prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib and, to a lesser extent the decapitation of Nick Berg, has effaced the really important story in the Iraqi campaign: the US has just beaten back a major counteroffensive by Syria and Iran.

I concur. And if this is the case, do not expect the riposte to consist solely of the ouster of Chalabi. Bush doesn't play penny-ante poker.

Thanks for the ping, BTW - looks like I'm going to have to start hanging out at Wretchard's place.

[sheik yerbouty]

Only the Kurds have been trustworthy..

[soozla]

"We should take him on a tour of Abu Graib, I'm sure Lindy England has a pair of panties that would fit his head"

Let's give him the "Maxi-Pad" treatment too!!!! ;^)

[El Gato]

I wouldn't trust "CIA sources" any farther than I could thrown their leader, George Tenet, who is after all a Clinton appointee. George J. Tenet became Director of Central Intelligence on July 11, 1997. As DCI, he heads the US Intelligence Community and also directs the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Deputy Director of Central Intelligence is John E. McLaughlin, who was sworn in October 19, 2000. Also during the Clinton period.

[Destro]

The left? Any one in the White House we need to feel sorry for?

[Destro]

Funny how it happened just as Powell's State took over Iraq, eh? Any one in the WH going to lose his head over this?

[wagglebee]

Yeah, I've been wondering since about 9:00 AM on 9/11/01 why Tenet still had a job.

[japaneseghost]

Radio news (WTOP-DC) this evening said the US has "solid evidence" of Chalabi's guilt as an Iranian spy, and that if the evidence were released, American lives would be at stake.

This last Sunday, the TV pundits were saying Chalabi was getting $400,000 from the US gov. every month.

[KQQL]

CHALABI LIED ABOUT WMD TOO

[madison10]

Wonder what the low-life thief was doing with the money? Buying a mansion? Paying for "hits?" Adding it to the money paid to him by the Iranians? Prison would be too good for Chalabi, even Abu G.

Chalabi was the dude in the picture with President Bush at Thanksgiving, right? THAT is a scary thought.