It's tough to come to any sort of conclusion based on what was reported today about the raid at Ahmad Chalabi's house and the INC's headquarters in Baghdad. (This blogger would love to be in Baghdad right now!) Reports tonight about what was really going on only make matters more confusing: some are saying Chalabi is spying for for Iran, passing on sensitive information and preparing a Shiite coup (this source is unrealiable); some are saying it is financial corruption by Chalabi and the INC; still others believe it is part of a sinister plot by Chalabi and the Pentagon to distance Chalabi from the Americans and thus bolster his political standing amongst Iraqis.
Chalabi himself is accusing the raid of being a Baathist plot to ruin him.
Two important facts about this story that some are leaving out but that are very important:
1. The raid was not U.S.-led. It was led by the Iraqi police, which are run by Iraqis. CPA spokesman Dan Senor: "To my knowledge, Mr. Chalabi is not actually being pursued for anything. And I don't think the INC is, either." Referring questions to Iraqi police, Senor said: "My understanding is they are the ones who seized any documents. It was an Iraqi-led investigation, it was an Iraqi-led raid."
2. According to CNN, Chalabi was not even named in the search warrant, making it even more curious that his house was raided.
UPDATE: On point 1, The New York Sun's Eli Lake is reporting that the actions were approved by the National Security Council. Lake also reports that U.S. intelligence officials visited Iraqi freedom fighter Kanan Makiya, asking him about documents. This just gets curioser and curioser.
UPDATE II: The Sun has editorialized today drawing parallels between what happened to Chalabi yesterday and the raid I was part of last year (see below post). Very good editorial.
UPDATE III: The Daily Telegraph is reporting today that one reason for the raid might be that Chalabi "is in possession of "miles" of documents with the potential to expose politicians, corporations and the United Nations as having connived in a system of kickbacks and false pricing worth billions of pounds" relating to the corrupt and totally discredited UN Oil-for-Food program.
UPDATE IV: The venerable Wall Street Journal editorial board has come out swinging for Chalabi.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 1:33 AM
