Ahmad Chalabi's Fall From Grace (passes Amer. state secrets to Iran!)

[Stephanie]

Just reported on CBS News

<snip>

Senior U.S. officials have told 60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl that they have evidence Chalabi has been passing highly classified U.S. intelligence to Iran. The evidence shows that Chalabi personally gave Iranian intelligence officers information so sensitive that if revealed it could, quote, "get Americans killed." The evidence is said to be "rock solid."

On Friday, Stahl reported that senior intelligence officials stress the information Ahmad Chalibi is alleged to have passed on to Iran is of such a seriously sensitive nature, the result of full disclosure could be highly damaging to U.S. security. The information involves secrets that were held by only a handful of very senior U.S. officials, says Stahl.

Meanwhile, Stahl reports that "grave concerns" about the true nature of Chalabi's relationship with Iran started after the U.S. obtained "undeniable intelligence" that Chalabi met with a senior Iranian intelligence, a "nefarious figure from the dark side of the regime - an individual with a direct hand in covert operations directed against the United States."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/20/iraq/main618637.shtml

[TrogL]

1. I'm confused (I know, what else is new)

Wasn't Chalabi they're choice to run the new Iraq?

[11cents]

3. Yes. Yes he was. What's confusing about that?

Get with the program!

(Man. What a huge story! At least, back when we had a sentient press it would have been, like, the hugest story ever. Maybe a few neurons are starting to fire again?)

[keithyboy]

14. Proves that Pelosi was right: Bush is incompetent and so is the entire

administration. Clinton would have been executed for treason by now under these same circumstances.

[Tellurian]

2. wow...wonder what Bush is going to talk about on Monday as he tells us

about his Iraq handover strategy..

Maybe he'll call "Head Hunters" for a quick replacement?

[Cronus Protagonist]

4. Bush Administration FAILURE - Why did they give secrets to Chalabi?

They must be totally out of their minds. This is yet another indication of the total incompetence of the Bush administration and The Pentagon. They gave sensitive information to a convicted embezzler who lied to the American Intelligence Agencies and the Bush Administration about the WMD's and the sentiments of the Iraqi people prior to the war.

Heads should toll over this latest of many of the Bush Admnistration's security breaches.

Giving state secrets to a criminal. Sheesh!

And then whining when he tells his buddies in the mosque? Priceless.

Click here for stunning, insulting, shocking, funny buttons, magnets and stickers

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Not just a criminal, a foreigner

This isn't just an administration failure. It's treason.

[Stephanie]

9. ANOTHER instance of treason in this WH

This is an administration that makes a habit of violating their oath of secrecy.

[fizzana]

6. There's talk that the FBI were involved in the raid

"The important thing to note here is that Chalabi's attorney says FBI agents were involved in the Baghdad raid. It bolsters evidence I have been hearing from my sources that there is a high level FBI-led counterintelligence investigation into who leaked highly classified US intelligence to Chalabi, that he and his intelligence chief passed to the Iranians. . . .

Who with access to highly classified US intelligence gave Chalabi such information in the first place? I am told the stakes are very high, and this is the big deal here. That is the investigation that has people worried on this side of the pond. I am told that those automatically assumed to have such access may not have."

This is from Tapped, the blog on The American Prospect.

http://www.prospect.org/weblog/

This could be explosive if true. It would seem that whoever gave Chalabi the information was one of his staunchest supporters and we know who those people are.

[Stephanie]

10. Wolfowitz

Rumsfeld

Cheney

?

[Career Prole]

7. Perle's buddy Chalabi pulled the old doublecross?

The neocons duped most of America with Chalabi's "defectors' tales", and all the time he was running a con on them?
They thought he'd be their dream puppet leader, even though most Iraqis hate his guts...and he was smilin' in their face, grabbin' the cash, and secretly planning an alliance with Iran?
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
God, that's gotta piss 'em off!
Ain't nothin' I like better of a Friday evening than the thought of a clutch of neocons choking on bile. :evilgrin:

[salin]

8. much stronger language than was used this morning

when it was "possible"... "suspected"... etc.

[Stephanie]

11. Can anyone decode this article for me?

What level of government is indicated by this description?

very senior U.S. officials

Does "very senior" mean Cabinet level? Or higher?

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. Probably the same folks

who would out a CIA agent?

[oldhat]

15. Powell

I think "very senior" means "Colin Powell."

[leesa]

13. Don't worry. US intelligence is obviously of no value