The Chalabi raid

As you probably know, Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi's home and offices were raided May 20th. A Coalition spokesperson told journalists that U.S. Forces did not participate. There is but the thinnest patina of credibility to that claim, but more importantly this almost certainly was carried out with the full knowledge and approval of Paul Bremer.

Now I am not certain whether or not we should have thrown in with Chalabi from the get-go, like the Pentagon wanted. He seems a little kooky at times, a little shady at other times. Certainly the State Department seems to hate his guts, and has long evidenced a desire to destroy the man. But this stuff coming out now from "unnamed intelligence sources" saying that Chalabi was passing sensitive information to the Iranians strikes me as a steaming pile of crap. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! The State Department is loaded with nattering nincompoops who can't wait until their next opportunity to visit Tehran and snuggle up with their cuddly mullah friends. To fault Chalabi for having his own Iranian contacts is absurd, and to suggest that he's "passing sensitive information" is just a smear. How do I know? Come on! If the United States had hard evidence that he was really passing sensitive information, then the man would be under arrest (by uniformed American soldiers this time) and Don Rumsfeld would be announcing that fact. It's as simple as that.

I'll add one more thing: To raid Chalabi's home while Muqtada al-Sadr is still waddling around free speaks volumes to the common Iraqi about the relative value of being a "friend" or "enemy" of the Americans. Apparently, America humiliates its friends but negotiates with its enemies. How inspiring.