INC and Chalabi raid connected to allegations of fraud, kidnapping and ...

[maddezmom]

~snip~
A Chalabi aide, Haidar Musawi, said a U.S.-Iraqi force arrived about 10:30 a.m., while Chalabi, a member of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, was inside. They told Chalabi's aides they wanted to search for wanted officials in Chalabi's party, the Iraqi National Congress.


A senior coalition official said on condition of anonymity that an Iraqi judge issued warrants "for up to 15 people" on allegations of fraud, kidnapping and "associated matters." Several people were arrested, and Chalabi was not a suspect, he said.


Iraqi police were seen loading boxes into vehicles, and neighbors said some members of Chalabi's entourage were taken away. Police took documents and a computer, according to an American witness. A portrait of Chalabi hanging on the wall had a bullet hole in the forehead.

~snip~
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20040520/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

Could this be related to Berg?????

[ewagner]

1. I used to think it

was just pure tinfoil hat time to associate Chalabai with the Berg murder....now, I'm not so sure.........

[maddezmom]

2. "associated matters"

perhaps code for murder?? :shrug:

[ewagner]

5. Perhaps..............

Problem is...how will we know?

[rainy]

3. Why am I thinking Chalabi has records of US involvement in the

Oil for food scam and this is an effort to get rid of evidence?

[maddezmom]

4. Chalabi is also under investigation for misuse of State Dept funds

According to a written agreement between the INC and the State Department that was also obtained by NEWSWEEK, State Department funds were not to be used to conduct “any business associated with, or that could appear to be associated with, attempting to influence the policies of the United States Government or Congress, or propagandizing the American people.” At the request of Democratic senators Carl Levin of the Senate Armed Services Committee and presidential candidate John Kerry, the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, is opening an investigation into the INC’s use of State Department money.

INC representatives have denied the group misused U.S. government funds, though they have acknowledged that some State Department funds may have been used to pay expenses of Iraqi “defectors” with stories to tell about Saddam’s WMD and alleged terror links who the INC made available to media outlets, most prominently Vanity Fair and The New York Times. Some U.S. intelligence officials say that when the same defectors were interviewed by intelligence professionals, it was determined that they had fabricated information or were coached by the INC. Information from two defectors with alleged INC connections constituted the foundation for prewar claims to the United Nations by Secretary of State Colin Powell that Saddam had built a fleet of mobile weapons labs and factories. Powell acknowledged on TV last week that these claims were probably based on poorly sourced information. Intelligence officials have acknowledged that at least one of the sources for Powell’s claim, an INC defector, had been determined by the DIA to be a “fabricator” more than six months before Powell’s U.N. address.
~snip~
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5016031/site/newsweek /

[hedda_foil]

7. Because he does.

Not only was Chalabi given possession of ALL pre-invasion records, he's been selling them back to the US and God only knows who else for a pretty price. The oil for food records are part of this, and there has been speculation that Chalabi has been spreading the story of UN corruption .... which may or may not be true, since he has the records.

[berry]

6. No doubt Chalabi is guilty of all sorts of crimes, BUT

I can't help wondering if the CPA isn't doing this to help Chalabi by giving him distance from the US. As a US puppet, he had zero chance of grabbing power in post-handover Iraq. By setting himself up as different/distant from the US, he may THINK he has a chance. And the neo-cons may have been willing to help him give the appearance of independence, even enmity for the US. Even the neo-cons must know that when 80% of Iraqis feel anti-American, setting up a puppet won't work. But we also know that they NEVER give up as long as they have life and breath.

Note that "Chalabi was not a suspect".

I may be wrong, of course. But I thought I'd throw this idea into the fray....

[Straight Shooter]

8. My goodness. The U.S. is making examples of people left and right.

Can't wait till the U.S. government turns on itself and begins to devour bush and cheney.