[Retrofire]

Something has been weighing on my mind about Chalabi...

He is an Iraqi exile, not one to be accepted with open arms after being away from the homeland for a lot of years.

He has the ear of President Bush.

He is a secularist, and a proponent of democracy.

He is backed by the "Washington DC Hawks."

In other words, he's exactly the kind of guy we'd want leading the country when this is all over - And precisely who the Iraqis would not elect if he toed the Bush party line. If we install him, he's a "puppet."

What to do, what to do...

Suddenly, Chalabi starts attacking the U.S. for not getting services and aid restored quickly enough. He goes on the offensive versus the U.N.

This makes me suspicious. It seems to me he is speaking out a lot for a guy who was so committed to playing ball with the U.S.

Could it be that he's saying these things at the CIA's instruction to boost his popularity with the citizens, who will elect him for his tough stance against all non-Iraqi interference?

Coup de etat.

I will be watching this with great interest...

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

He is an Iraqi exile, not one to be accepted with open arms after being away from the homeland for a lot of years.

Konrad Adenauer, the first post-WWII chancellor of West Germany, was also an exile. Didn't hurt him too much!

[Nonstatist]

Could it be that he's saying these things at the CIA's instruction to boost his popularity with the citizens

Thats it, I just hope the US govt follows through and installs him as interim guy. The Shiite clergy are scary and if that sheik (Hawala?) in Iran was installed, disastrous results would result. He's the only guy (a Shiite) who could run this country in the short term, aside from us.

[Howlin]

I am very leery of this guy, too.

And what does that mean, "contender?"

I thought he already said he wasn't running for anything!