Chalabi finally offering useful advice

[kskiska]

(snip)

"He conned people from the beginning," said Baer of Chalabi. "He knew the only chance he had of having any power would come with the U.S."

In the mid-1990s, Chalabi hung around Washington trying unsuccessfully to interest the Clinton administration in an Iraqi adventure. Then he traveled to the Kurdish sections of Iraq not under Saddam Hussein's control to try to stir up plots against Saddam.

"Saddam could have had him killed at any time he wanted," said Baer. "But Saddam wanted him alive. He felt that if this was the best America could do, then he was safe."

But when the Bush crowd won the White House, the confidence man regained his confidence. Even before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the so-called "neoconservatives" in the Bush administration were looking for a way to remake the Mideast in their own image. Chalabi provided the rationale.

(snip)

Why did the Bush crowd fall for this con? As the saying goes, you can't con an honest man. The people around Bush were so blinded by the prospect of all that Iraqi oil coming onto the market that they bought Chalabi's line. The smartest thing they could do now is buy his latest line. "Let my people go free. Get out," Chalabi said after the raid last week.

Finally, some advice worth taking from Ahmad Chalabi. George W. should consider it not just in light of Iraq but the presidential race. Then the Republicans will have a chance to nominate a candidate with some credibility in the area of foreign policy.

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[MissMarple]

1. "You can't con an honest man." I love it.

Cons don't respect marks because they want something for nothing. And even perhaps "chicks for free". Sorry, couldn't resist. :D