Another fine mess we have gotten ourselves into.  Turns out our
intelligence services have picked up increased contact between Chalabi and the Mullahs in Iran, which has caused "grave concern"
within this admin.  He has been cozying up to the Mullahs in Iran while trying to maintain "informant status" with the US.  The problem is that this is a power play on his part which is dangerous to the US.  Chalabi is solidifying his status in the strong Shia community for the elections.
 So whats the big damn deal??  The pipe dream was that Saddam would fall, democracy would gain hold in Iraq, and the Mullahs and Syria would fall through the domino effect.  Miscalculation as usual on part of the US govt when it comes to the Middle East.
If a strong Shia nationalist govt takes hold, Iran it turns out will be thanking and praising Bush and the neocons every day.  Iran becomes 10 times stronger with a Shia nationalist party in Iraq, American troops eventually gone, and a free pathway directly to Syria.  
 In the mean time Russia is making strong public statements of support for Iran.  Why you ask??  To preempt another "WMD" attack on Iran by W and the neocons.  
 With Saddam gone, now we can finally have an even stronger geo strategic alliance between Iran, Iraq, and Syria.  
  Yep we are a lot fucking safer with Saddam gone!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040518/ts_nm/iraq_usa_chalabi_dc

  Al-Qaida strong in Iraq, with the very likelyhood of a strong Mullah style Shia nationalist party having a majority in Iraq emboldening the Mullahs in Iran, strong ties with Syria, and Russia building nuclear reactors for Iran.  
  Anyone here feel much safer with Saddam gone??

It was wrong for Cheney and the white house to have any faith in Chalabi. He's been known in the politcal circuits as the "Rolex man"!  All this guy wants is money. he is getting a hefty salary from the US government (somewhere in the neighborhood of $400,000/year!).  I also heard he was charged as a bank rubber in Jordan!   Now someone please tell me why our administration picks these crooks to help us rebuild Iraq?  No wonder it is in such a mess!

Where does it state that "our intelligence services have picked up increased contact between Chalabi and the Mullahs in Iran, which has caused "grave concern"". I couldn't find the intel claim or the "grave concern" scare quotes in the article. Did you get the Chalabi / Iran "grave concern" information from the same source/tinfoil hat as your wacky EvilBush(tm)- Nick Berg conspiracy theory? Just asking. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about Iran, word is that VileCheneyRumsfeld(tm) has commanded EvilBush(tm) to invade just before November.

RLTW

  I forgot to include this link in the original post.  I know how disappointed you must be to learn of this since you had so much faith in Chalabi's intelligence.  Sorry to disappoint you!!  



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4881157/site/newsweek/

Sounds like the DOD and EvilBush(tm) are making the right decision about Chalabi and the INC.

RLTW

So that would make their initial support of him a..... oh, what's that word..... mistake?

Just ask him - If you have the time to wait while he stumbles over his answer.

-- Modified on 5/18/2004 7:12:27 PM

The best investigative reporting on Bush's business adventures was written by Molly Ivins "Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America". Molly Ivins is a Democratic op/ed writer from Texas, who has followed Bush since he was a wee shrub. Actually, she named Bush "shrub" when he successfully ran for governor against Ann Richards.

I think Ivin's book was partially extracted in www.salon.com, so if you watch a 30 second commercial, you can access these through the archives (URL: http://archive.salon.com/opinion/feature/2003/09/25/bushwhacked/index1.html).

Ivin's history of George W. basically tells a story of a neer-do-well, whose faithful family retainers bailed him out when things got tough. You're right in thinking that Harken was  similar to the Enron scandal, except of course on a much smaller scale.

-- Modified on 5/18/2004 7:33:24 PM

No, Molly Ivins' reporting on Bush is very solid. I would suggest reading the extract in salon.com, and make up your own mind. Unlike Rush, Ivins always backs up her assessments with facts.

Besides, the mainstream press gave George W. a free pass on the whole Harken/Aloha scandal. Ivin's is the one who broke this story, much as it was Hersh who broke the story of the Abu Ghraib tortures.

And as for RLTW, I'm afraid that in November he'll be with Bush in the bunker moving those phantom divisions to prevent the encirclement by the Soviets, err Iraqis, err Kerry.

She's pure jibberish, like Michael Savage on the far-right. And based on the two previous articles you linked, it doesn't surprise me that you put so much thought into her writing. So, trot out Molly Ivans all you want, it's like bolstering your argument by quoting Ted Kazinski.

RLTW

-- Modified on 5/18/2004 9:41:19 PM

Pick your source. And just to be fair, I didn't include the word 'scandal' in my search.

"FALLUJAH, Iraq - A former Saddam Hussein-era general appointed by the Americans to lead an Iraqi security force in the rebellious Sunni stronghold of Fallujah urged tribal elders and sheiks Sunday to support U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq. . . .

The venue offered a rare insight into Latif's interactions and influence over Fallujah elders. As he spoke, many sheiks nodded in approval and listened with reverence to his words. Later, they clasped his hands and patted Latif on the back.

Latif, speaking in Arabic to the sheiks, defended the Marines and the U.S. occupation of Iraq.

"They were brought here by the acts of one coward who was hunted out of a rathole — Saddam — who disgraced us all," Latif said. "Let us tell our children that these men (U.S. troops) came here to protect us.

"As President Bush said, they did not come here to occupy our land but to get rid of Saddam. We can help them leave by helping them do their job, or we can make them stay ten years and more by keeping fighting."

Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne, the Marine battalion commander, said, "No truer words have been spoken here today than those by General Latif."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=2&u=/ap/20040516/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_fallujah_1

"We went to the Arab countries and said, 'Look, you need to come together with a blueprint for Arab reform. If you do not articulate such a blueprint, one may be forced upon you.' We in Jordan are in the clear: We have our plans and are not using regional problems as an excuse. We are moving forward, as are some of the other moderate countries. But the rest of you, 'Wake up!' The Middle East is changing. If you don't get that process going, one will be forced on you." - King Abdullah of Jordan in an interview with "Washington Post".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A31974-2004May16?language=printer

"In the province of Dhi Qar, about 230 miles southeast of Baghdad and a backwater even by Iraq's standards, residents voting as families will have elected city councils in 16 of the 20 biggest cities by next month."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44553-2004Feb15?language=printer

And in Baghdad, "American authorities created nine district councils... with representatives sent by 88 neighborhood advisory councils. The district councils, in turn, sent representatives to the Baghdad City Advisory Council to work with the American administration." "Every day the evidence is a little stronger that the council members understand the benefits of this system, and we even see signs out in the community of it catching on."
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1205/p01s04-woiq.html

"Iraqi crude oil sales since last year's U.S.-led invasion hit more than $9 billion... The Coalition Provisional Authority had deposited a total of $9.28 billion in its Development Fund for Iraq." Compare this to the billions lost to bribes and kickbacks in the corrupt U.N. Oil for Food scandal.
http://www.forbes.com/home/newswire/2004/05/17/rtr1374572.html

"Some 20,000 contractors are doing business in the country with relatively few security problems... Most are sharing in the $18.4 billion that has been allocated by the U.S. government to rebuild roads, public utilities, schools, housing and other parts of the Iraq economy."
http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-4/108483180080860.xml

Quagmire! Vietnam! Mindless Minions of EvilBush(tm)!

RLTW




-- Modified on 5/18/2004 10:35:29 PM

Her credentials as a political columnist and journalist of high repute are actually without question, and to compare her with an imbecile like Michael Savage is simply absurd.  She's been a Pulitzer Prize finalist three times, and she was named Outstanding Alumna by Columbia University's School of Journalism in 1976, and was a member of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize jury.

Ivins is alot closer to liberal version of William Safire or Robert Novak than a liberal version of Michael Savage.