Guess who heads the Iraqi Governing Council in Sept: Ahmad Chalabi…

[Junkdrawer]

In a landmark for the 25-member Governing Council that Bremer brought into existence, the organization announced this week that it would function with a nine-member rotating presidency, beginning with the first name in the Arabic alphabet, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a representative of the Islamic Dawa Party which was banned under Saddam Hussein.

Al-Jaafari will be followed in September by Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi, who has strong support in the Pentagon, and in October by Iyad Allawi, a Shiite Muslim doctor who heads the Iraq National Accord, which has deep roots in the opposition to Saddam both at home and abroad.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,93376,00.html

Yes, the same Chalabi who claimed to have given the US a week's warning on the UN bombing.

And now, he's already blamed the mosque bombing on "Saddam Loyalists"..

Chalabi blamed U.S. forces for not keeping the region secure and said the bombing was the work of Saddam Hussein loyalists who were trying to create sectarian discord in the country.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/WorldNewsTonight/mosqueblast030829.html

Watch this guy. Watch him like a hawk.

[kentuck]

1. But they have one less member today...

He was the Ayatollah killed in the carbomb by a rival Shiite group. It seems that was the only way they could get him to see the light and stop working with the Americans...

[Junkdrawer]

4. No, Hakim's brother is on the Council..

Hakim's brother, Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, is a member of the U.S.-appointed Iraq Governing Council.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/08/29/sprj.irq.najaf/index.html

[kentuck]

5. Good catch, junkdrawer...

I thought I had heard it on CNN, but your link has some very good info to help figure out what is happening over there...

[Junkdrawer]

7. From same link: "He (Hakim) also rejected a secular government.."

He had called for unity among Shiite groups and said that U.S. forces should leave Iraq.

In a speech in Basra, after his return from exile, Hakim said Iraq should have an independent government chosen by Iraqis. He told supporters: "We will not accept a government that is imposed on us."

He also rejected a secular government, saying it would not respect Islam.

Same link: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/08/29/sprj.irq.najaf/index.html

How does a cleric who advocates a theocracy qualify as a moderate?

[Junkdrawer]

8. And just that fast CNN removes the highlighted line for it's website...

They want this guy painted as a moderate.

[mmm]

2. I want to buy him a 23 year long holiday in Jordan

complete with a one way bus ticket and an orange jump suit.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. They better count the silverware...

Might want to watch the banks as well.

Un-effing-believable, but not a surprise at all.

[hang a left]

15. i would think that the

banks were at the top of the list, right after securing the oil fields

[w13rd0]

6. A caller to C-Span Washington Journal this morning...

...very thick accent, claimed that Chalabi had defrauded him in 1980 of several tousand dollars. Was pretty interesting...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. Heard it.

Everyone but the media knows Chalabi's a crook. Oh well.

[tom_paine]

9. Soon the new Iraqui SAVAK will be up and running

and life for the Iraqis can return to the Saddam days of torture and oppression (with a modicum of window dressing for the Imperial Corporate TV Pravda cameras)

Oh my yes, it won't be long now before the Imperial Torture Chambers are back up and running under new, Imperial Backed Iraqi Management (read: Chalabi's goons).

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. I stopped watching ICTV-Pravda ages ago.

[Junkdrawer]

10. kick

:kick:

[Junkdrawer]

13. Chalabi calls for security to be handed over to Iraqis after Najaf outrage

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A member of Iraq (news - web sites)'s US-appointed Governing Council called on Friday for internal security to be handed over to Iraqis following the killing of top Shiite leader Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim in a devastating car bombing in the holy city of Najaf.

Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Pentagon (news - web sites)-backed Iraqi National Congress (INC), blamed remnants of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime and supporters of the al-Qaeda terror network for the attack, which came a little over a week after another deadly bombing wrecked the UN headquarters in Baghdad.

...

Chalabi said the answer to atrocities such as Friday's was for an Iraqi force to take over internal security duties while US-led coalition troops would defend Iraq's borders.

Such a force could be set up "within six weeks" if the coalition can be "persuaded" to approve the plan, Chalabi said.

More...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1514&u=/afp/20030829/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_najaf_blast_reax_030829173023&printer=1

[Sapphocrat]

14. You didn't know this?

I hate to sound like a know-it-all, but I'm really very surprised this comes as news to anyone. I thought more DUers would know this already.

In a nutshell, Chalabi was the one feeding the neocons all the bull about how the U.S. would be "welcomed with open arms" in Iraq (he was the number-one "exile" they were relying on so heavily to make their "case" for the invasion) -- and was telling them ANYTHING (including WMD fairy tales) they wanted to hear -- because Chalabi fully expected to succeed Saddam as head of state. (Which is also why the neocons never had an exit strategy -- they didn't think they'd need one.)

Anyway, if you've been following the PNAC saga, it shouldn't come as any surprise Chalabi was installed (like the little puppet dictator he is) as head of the Iraqi governing council. He's been waiting for this since he first got chummy with Wolfowitz in the late 1960s.

That's the super-abbreviated version. If anyone would like links to pertinent articles, just holler -- I've got lots of scary reading for those who want some education on Chalabi and where he fits into this whole nightmare.

[Junkdrawer]

18. I knew just about every thing you cited EXCEPT that it would be...

his turn to play "President of Iraq" in September. Now he's suggesting that he cover internal security and US troops guard the borders. Doesn't that just sound chummy - and perfect if we wanted to, say, invade Syria or Iran.

[Sapphocrat]

20. Ah! My bad...

It is nearly impossible to keep up with these thugs on a daily basis, and this was an easy one to miss.

Chummy, indeed -- and a perfect jumping-off point for Syria & Iran. In the neocons' ideal world (which is only in their dreams), with Chalabi as head of state, we'd have our second U.S. military outpost in the Middle East. (Afghanistan doesn't count; the whole country is toast until we get our butts out of there.)

My crystal ball says it won't happen. Not wishful thinking; I mean, Iraq is literally blowing up their faces as we speak, and I foresee Chalabi going the way of another "terrorist" attack, or (at best, for his sake) the Hamid Karzai route, where he won't be able to step out the front door without an entire platoon of U.S. guards.

[sistersofmercy]

16. uhhh, don't forgot the following viruses, INC! Not all in the organization

are iraqis, some saudis and kuwaitis also included in their deviant organization!

[bobthedrummer]

17. Pentagon support =OSP

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?030512fa_fact

http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/22/dreyfuss-r.html

[Jacobin]

19. Hmmm. They'll be cancelling his life insurance soon

He must have a death wish.