Posted on 05/18/2004 6:25:03 PM PDT by blam
Bush abandons his 'favourite son' Chalabi
(Filed: 19/05/2004)
Administration cuts off cash for gathering of intelligence, reports Alec Russell in Washington
The Bush administration has signalled an end to its relationship with Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress and the Pentagon's former favourite for leadership of the country.
After months of feuding within President George W Bush's administration over Mr Chalabi's role, the Pentagon is stopping monthly payments of $335,000 (£200,000) to the INC for intelligence-gathering in Iraq.
Chalabi: mistrusted
The decision was taken a week ago at a meeting of Mr Bush's senior officials, including the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and the secretary of state, Colin Powell, and reflects a renunciation of Mr Chalabi, a source close to the administration said.
The monthly payments, which began in summer 2002 as part of a programme run by the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, are to end on June 30, when the coalition will hand over sovereignty.
Backed by powerful sponsors in the Pentagon and Vice-President Dick Cheney's office, Mr Chalabi, a former exile, played a major role in urging the administration to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
His prominence was always opposed by the State Department and the CIA, which had grown to mistrust him after years of contacts. During the past year, his stock has fallen, even among former supporters in the Pentagon.
His appearance at the United Nations last September when he criticised the coalition's performance in Iraq infuriated Mr Bush, who sets much store by loyalty.
He has also become a whipping boy for critics of the administration amid growing evidence that much of the faulty intelligence about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction programmes came from his network of exiles and defectors.
Reports that the erroneous information about mobile biological weapons laboratories, a key part of America's case for war, came from a brother of one of Mr Chalabi's aides, nicknamed "Curveball", worsened the irritation in Washington. Mr Chalabi has angrily denied any knowledge of "Curveball".
More recently, with the administration increasingly desperate to finesse Iraq's transition and dependent on the UN, it has seen Mr Chalabi as part of the problem rather than the solution.
Izzedine Salim's funeral in Baghdad yesterday
His supporters, who include prominent neo-conservatives, regard him as a victim of internal warfare between the Pentagon and State Department, where the mood is now more chipper because of the Pentagon's difficulties.
They defend his intelligence operation, and say it is ironic that Washington is sidelining a westernised liberal while doing deals with former Ba'athists and Iranian-backed groups.
"Much of the information he collected was to roll up the insurgency and Ba'athist cells. It caught people red-handed," said Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon adviser who is now at a conservative think-tank, the American Enterprise Institute.
"By telegraphing that he is not the favourite son of America, the administration will bolster him, showing he is his own man."
Interesting speculation--I think it's simpler:It is inconsistent with our turn over of sovereignty to continue funding one member of the IGC.
It has alot to do with Chalabi being a liar and mistrusted by his own people.
I disagree.
Beyond all the obvious reasons, the need for this guy has expired long ago.
About time. Chalabi is a toad. Wanting someone else to do his heavy lifting for him. Cowardly slime.
BS is a way of life. That is what intel of all kinds from them is suspect. This guy had them lyin to him as well.
All these finacial ties must be broken.
This is all over the fence gossip, like a bunch of little old ladies.
financial! is the proper word.........LOL!
Rumsfeld has said that much of Chalabi's intel was considered highly helpful by the ground commanders during this pacification/reconstruction period.
I agree with your take, the termination of the "consulting" agreement is probably timed to cause as little interference and internal trouble as possible with the 6/30 handoff looming.
Expect Chalabi to become the best friend of the NY Times henceforth...
Thank you. He has provided invaluable information and assistance and has been rewarded with non-stop smears by DoS bastards to their toadies in the press.
There is a lot more to the story than there is in this article, much of which appears to be cut from whole cloth.
There are no saints in Iraq, only sinners, but I recommend not taking this article at face value. Its publication is calculated, and is not a straightforward report of facts.
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