Was the Chalabi raid a ploy to garner him support from Iraqis?

[digno dave]

I don't know id this theory has been mentioned on here yet but my mom mentioned it to me as a possibility. I don't if it was something she heard or read or if she came up with it on her own.
He will no doubt gain symapthy from the Iraqis if he is percieved as a victim of American strong-arming.
To me, however, it seems like a lot of crow to eat to realize the goal of instiling Chalabi as the leader of iraq.

[movonne]

1. It could be...he seems to be pretty savey. He probably knows

where all the bodies are hidden.

[charlyvi]

2. The Possibility has been Mentioned

in many places, but here's a link to one of them. Most think Chalabi's fall is for real, though, from what I have read.


http://www.tompaine.com/archives/the_dreyfuss_report.php

[hippywife]

4. Also here...

http://warblogging.com

May 21, 2004
Chalabi: Being Made To Look Independent

[madrchsod]

3. no the iraqi people are not

that dumb. they will except no one but one of their own who will be a religous figure of some sort. the bushbots can wish who ever they want but the people will accept only their own..wouldn`t you?

[Merlin]

5. Iraqis aren't that dumb. But the Bushie neocons THINK they are.

That's been the problem all along.

I subscribe to this theory completely. Chalabi is a con man par excellence. This whole deal is to try to sheep dip him so he can morph into an Iraqi patriot. Not buyin' it.

[stavka]

6. A Ploy? A bad one if it is.....

Iraqi ex-patriots I speak with nearly daily, who are former members of the Baathist government (pre-Gulfwar II - 1991) say they never even heard of him.

He recently scored a .2% popularity ranking in some off the cuff poll.

I think the US state department has finally scored higher on the Bush scale than Defense.

Chilabi is the "Where's the Beef?" campaign, we've moved on to "Canyou hear me now?"

He served his pre-war purpose (providing evidence of WMD and popular willingness to rise up - not to mention a gang of extras to hammer on a falling statue of Saddam), and now is a clear liability.

[charlyvi]

7. The Files

I agree, he is a liability; however, his people ransacked a government office during the fall of Baghdad and took many files--documentation of Saddam's abuses, so he says. Do you think the raid could have been done to get the files back? I haven't read about this possiblity anywhere. Just musing.

[newyawker99]

8. HI stavka!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Cat Atomic]

9. Maybe. But I can also imagine Chalabi simply wanting

to pressure the US out as soon as possible, since the choices for Puppet Government President are currently very slim. Our government has a history of settling for the lesser dictator when it comes to Iraq. I've got to think Chalabi is perceptive enough to see that.

[H2O Man]

10. Very possible, but:

(1) He has not lived in Iraq in a long time; (2) He had NO support other than among a limited section of the bush administration; (3) a number of segments in the USA, including MI, recognized him as a sociopath; (4) neighboring countries excluding possibly Iran recognized him as a power-hungry, unstable sociopath; (5) he likely was trying to play US interests off Iranian interests; (6) he may have been involved in the recent car bombing of someone he considered his likely opponent in a future power play; and (7) he got caught. While the USA can manipulate many things, the Jordanian government was aware of this dangerous game he was playing.

I think it is unlikely that he will ever have 1/100th the support of Sadr, for example. His support will only be limited to those who he can buy. And, while it is very possible some powers within the USA are manipulating this situation, it seems even more likely that the bush administration was played for a fool. This demonstrates the danger of having nit-wits running the show. Like what in george w. bush's background would make ANYONE think he could be a competent commander in chief?

[jjmalonejr]

11. I think the posturing he's doing right now is HIS ploy...

...but I don't think his fall from grace is THEIR ploy.

I think BushCo. has finally had enough of him and are trying to cut him loose, but he's not going quietly.