WP, p.1: U.S., U.N. Seek New Leaders for Iraq (Chalabi out?)

[DeepModem Mom]

U.S., U.N. Seek New Leaders For Iraq
Chalabi and Others Coalition Relied on May Be Left Out
By Robin Wright and Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 24, 2004; Page A01


The United States and the top U.N. envoy to Iraq have decided to exclude the majority of the Iraqi politicians the U.S.-led coalition has relied on over the past year when they select an Iraqi government to assume power on June 30, U.S. and U.N. officials said yesterday.

The latest shift in policy comes as the U.S.-led coalition has to resolve some contentious and long-standing issues before the transfer takes place. Earlier this week, the coalition moved to allow former Baath Party members and military officers to return to government jobs.

At the top of the list of those likely to be jettisoned is Ahmed Chalabi, a Shiite politician who for years was a favorite of the Pentagon and the office of Vice President Cheney, and who was once expected to assume a powerful role after the ouster of Saddam Hussein, U.S. officials acknowledged.

Chalabi has increasingly alienated the Bush administration, including President Bush, in recent months, U.S. officials said. He generated anger in Washington yesterday when he said a new U.S. plan to allow some former officials of Hussein's ruling Baath Party and military to return to office is the equivalent of returning Nazis to power in Germany after World War II....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37921-2004Apr23.html

[the Kelly Gang]

1. good riddance to Chalabi

[izzie]

2. Well Chalabi has not been in the country for 35 or is it 45 years?

I think he is a pal of some big wig and has his own 1000 man army with him. What ever they are doing over their is wrong. I can guess that from here. Since we have such trouble running this country let turn it over to the people who live there. My God Saddam did it better than we have, and he was a nut case.

[radfringe]

3. Chalabi or someone else doesn't matter

US admits it will still control Iraq after transfer
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=514687
By Rupert Cornwell in Washington
24 April 2004

The US has made clear that the transfer of sovereignty to a provisional Iraqi government on 30 June will be a limited affair, and that ultimate authority will reside at a gigantic new US embassy in Baghdad and with the military occupation force.

In sometimes heated hearings on Capitol Hill this week, senior Bush administration officials admitted they did not know who would be in the new government, precisely what powers it would exercise, nor the exact shape of the new Security Council resolution that Washington is seeking at the United Nations.

Marc Grossman, Under-Secretary of State for political affairs, said the government would put "a very important Iraqi face" on many aspects of the country's life. But the US military, not the Iraqi security forces, would be in charge of all security matters.
----

"a very important Iraqi face"... make that a very important face on another puppet....

[maddezmom]

5. Negroponte and DOD will be running democratic Iraq

that's the face the Iraqis will see. :(

[fishnfla]

4. "Mr pResident, can you tell us any mistakes you've made since 9/11...."

"why no, I'd still trust that guy Chalabai, him's as honest as me am"

[BlueEyedSon]

6. Chalabi isn't toeing the party line over the return of the Baathists

Heh, he caught Bush in a flip-flop!

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Maybe they should just reinstall Saddam

and then we can get the hell out of there. It seems he did a much better job of running the country and keeping the oil flowing, then we can ever hope to.

BTW: Will someone buy Chalabi a one way ticket to Jordan, I believe they have been looking for him.

[leftchick]

8. PLEASE tell me this means we quit paying him....

3 fucking MILLION dollars a year too! :grr:

[0007]

9. Will a pissed off Ahman Chalabi with his American paid Army

now terrorize the United States?

Saddam Hussein we installed

Ahaman Chalabi we supported and gave a ton of money to for bad info

John Negroponte a convicted Iran/Contra thug from the Reagan admin is now installed - how can we go wrong again?

[DeepModem Mom]

10. That's some threesome, 0007 -- all criminals...

of one sort or another.