Borger: Chalabi Told Scott Ritter He Was Tight with Iranian Intel!!

[BurtWorm]

Will Pitt, have you talked to Ritter lately?


http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,12858,1224917,00.html

Chalabi 'boasted of Iranian spy link'

Iraqi accused by CIA made claim in 1997, says former inspector

Julian Borger in Washington
Wednesday May 26, 2004
The Guardian

Ahmad Chalabi, the Iraqi leader accused by the CIA of passing US secrets to Tehran, claimed to have close links with Iranian intelligence seven years ago, according to a former UN weapons inspector.

Scott Ritter, who before the war insisted that Saddam Hussein did not have significant weapons stocks, made the claim to Andrew Cockburn, a Washington-based journalist and the author of a biography of the ousted Iraqi dictator.

"When I met in December 1997 he said he had tremendous connections with Iranian intelligence," Mr Ritter said, according to an article by Mr Cockburn published today in the Guardian. "He said that some of his best intelligence came from the Iranians and offered to set up a meeting for me with the head of Iranian intelligence."

Mr Chalabi has repeatedly denied passing secrets to the Iranians and has denounced the allegations made by US intelligence officials as a CIA "smear".

[BurtWorm]

1. "Dem and Rep Senators are calling for an investigation"

More from the article:

He also denied providing false information about weapons of mass destruction to the US.

He said he only put the CIA in touch with three defectors, who were believed to have had critical information. The FBI and US intelligence agencies are re-examining information provided by or channelled through Mr Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, to determine whether the decision to go to war in Iraq was influenced by Iran.

Mr Ritter told the Guardian he stood by his allegation. He said he never made the trip to Iran because the CIA refused permission.

Meanwhile, both Democratic and Republican senators have called for an investigation into the alleged links between Mr Chalabi and Iranian intelligence.

[WilliamPitt]

2. No, but I'm a-gonna

God damn.

[salin]

4. I've been trying to nudge ya Will

if you haven't yet, I encourage you to read back through Laura Rosen's website back through the time of the raid. www.warandpiece.com Gives a hell of a great background for conversations with Ritter and other connections you might have with intel connections - and gives some indications of what pressure points to possibly pursue. Don't know what the "there" there is yet - though I have been speculating for the past day - but there most certainly is a "there" there.

[wabeewoman]

3. This is the latest

'its not our fault' senario.
"The people investigating this aren't sure yet, but the investigation is under way, and the DIA are looking through its documents and realising they've been had," Mr Lang said.

"If it turns out to be true, it was certainly a genius operation. created an anti-Saddam opposition to get rid of him, and they got us to pay for it."

Guess its better to appear stupid and used than to admit they used Chalabi to get the war they planned for years. Poor george, fool him once and hes such a fool that you can fool him over and over again.

[salin]

5. fits with another item (different) that I read earlier

that Chalabi's associate who headed the intelligence collection for the IGC (Habib) who has fled for Iran (and reportedly in multiple sources has long ties to Iranian intelligence).. Habib shared an office with 2 DIA agents (DIA coordinated or ran the intelligence collection efforts for which Habib was responsible.) This story has consistency with others from other sources.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Intelligence failure or... treason, you decide eom

[salin]

7. either choice it is a

sign of more incompetent, negligent (or worse) fuckups by the neocons running this country