Iran & Chalabi, quite a connection?

[Dionysos]

I was watching Countdown with Keith Olberman and he had on a guest(the name escapes me and the transcript isn't up yet) who is a former NSA analyst that dropped a couple bombs. The main one is that the FBI is currently investigating the possibility that 'Curveball' Chalabi is actually an Iranian spy that was offered up to the USA in hopes that we would take the bait and oust their most dangerous enemy(Saddam). This would of course create a power vacuum that the Shiite majority would usurp and create a government that is - surprise, surprise - much friendlier to Iran. This coupled with the pro-Hezbollah demonstrations in Iraq shows a fascinating(and infuriating) possibility that the US gov't was played by Iran and in the process created a swath of Shiite power in the Middle East where previously the two countries/factions kept each other in check. There are obvious consequences with regards to Israel and the flourishing Shia power base in the region as well. If I get more info on this I'll pass it along, but the way the analyst laid it out made perfect sense. It looks more and more like the neo-cons' aggressive tendencies and hard-on for removing Saddam might have blown up in our faces even worse than previously imagined. I really hope this guy is wrong, because if he's right then Iran has become the new USSR in terms of regional power.

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

This is essentially the argument (Chalabi= Iranian spy) that the State Department has been having with CIA for the past 10 years. Comforting huh?

Originally Posted by Dionysos

I really hope this guy is wrong, because if he's right then Iran has become the new USSR in terms of regional power.

As for this bit... excepting of course that Iran doesn't have anywhere near the resources that the USSR did and doesn't have any nukes yet.

So, if the trade was USSR for Iran it is a trade up.

[E-Nice]

before the invasion the neo-cons (cheney,rums, wolfy, doug fieth) were seen having lunch with Chalobi at all the trendy capitol hill restaurants on a weekly basis. i think of the guy as more of a diplomat/politician than a spy. Whatever he is, he got his way with washington. The neo-cons trusted him more than the democrats.

Chalobi and his gucci commandos will forever be known for tricking an administration into a war that serves their agenda. Bush Cheney, Rumsfeld will always be known as the idiots that let it happen.

It will take years before the chalobi - white house connection is fully realized.

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by E-Nice

The neo-cons trusted him more than the democrats.

You claim that on what basis?

In any event, the Chalabi trust/don't trust debate was resolved in "mostly" trust. I think that was a poor choice and was worried about it from the start. Agents provocateur are usually everything you want - and a lot more you don't. He helped make the sale - whether he was motivated out of greed or controlled by Tehran is yet to be seen but in either case... I lean toward the notion that he's an opportunist that thought he was working for himself that Iran enjoyed a voyeur's view of but that's pure speculation at best

Originally Posted by E-Nice

Chalobi and his gucci commandos will forever be known for tricking an administration into a war that serves their agenda. Bush Cheney, Rumsfeld will always be known as the idiots that let it happen.

It will take years before the chalobi - white house connection is fully realized.

So, it was Chalabi then? All this time the no-war crowd said that GW wanted this war before he was elected and did it to revenge Daddy. Now you tell me Chalabi tricked GW?

Anyway, yes, Chalabi is yet another example, imo (it's not yet fact) of our horrific intelligence and the consequences of our turning our backs on what we viewed as dirty business (the human intel business - and it is dirty business - just necessary dirty business).. and I agree it will take years to fully understand and I hope we can find some benefit from the process

[Dionysos]

Originally Posted by xian

So, it was Chalabi then? All this time the no-war crowd said that GW wanted this war before he was elected and did it to revenge Daddy. Now you tell me Chalabi tricked GW?

The ideas aren't mutually exclusive. Dubya & Co wanted a war with Iraq as soon as the towers fell and Chalabi gave them everything they wanted(cause, sources, etc.) on a platter. One could make the argument that the WH allowed itself to be tricked because it wanted to believe what Chalabi was selling, but at this point we're splitting hairs.

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by Dionysos

The ideas aren't mutually exclusive...

Of course they aren't. Big ideas and efforts like Iraq are going to be a result of a very large number of considerations and it would be nearly impossible to find all supporters of the war agreeing on every basis, purpose etc for going - what is more important for their purposes was agreement on a goal. And, yes, one could make the argument you make. To split hairs further, I'd suggest they didn't allow themselves to be tricked as much as they either 1) didn't take the time to properly vet him or 2) understood his limitations and risks but chose to rely on him anyway.. blah blah blah

[Adam D]

Outside of being a bit of a liar Chalabi was exactly what the administration wanted:

Pro-business
Pro-US/West
Shi'ite
-allowed the possibility that a Chalabi-led Shi'ite Iraq would provide a western model that could be adopted by Iran
-ensures the Hussein regime would not be integrated
Pro-war
Favored giving Iraqi oil to the US
Willing to be a mouthpiece for the administration


The mistake was that the administration underestimated how unpopular he was with the Iraqi people.

[Porkchop Avenger]

IranPwnd?