Yahoo!!
Things are finally falling apart for the clever con man that played the unscrupulous carney barker to the Pentagon's country rube.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police raided the residence of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday, and aides accused the Americans of holding guns to his head and bullying him over his criticism of plans for next month's transfer of sovereignty.
There was no comment from U.S. authorities, but American officials here have complained privately that Chalabi — a longtime Pentagon (news - web sites) favorite — is interfering with a U.S. investigation into allegations that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime skimmed millions in oil revenues during the U.N.-run oil-for-food program.
A Chalabi aide, Haidar Musawi, accused the Americans of trying to pressure Chalabi, who has become openly critical of U.S. plans for how much power to transfer to the Iraqis on June 30.
"The aim is to put political pressure," Musawi told The Associated Press. "Why is this happening at a time when the government is being formed?"
He said the Americans also raided other offices of Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress.
Salem Chalabi, nephew of Ahmad Chalabi and head of the Iraqi war crimes tribunal, said his uncle told him by telephone that Iraqi and American authorities "entered his home and put the guns to his head in a very humiliating way that reminds everyone of the conduct of the former regime."
The younger Chalabi said the reason for the raid was unclear but "they must be afraid of his political movement."
"Afraid of his political movement"! Ha-ha, he-he, ho-ho! This is a guy that has, what, a 2% approval rating from the Iraqi people (it might have been .2%)? The article makes it sound like he is some powerful populist and does not mention allegations that he has been giving US secrets to Iran or his role in convincing the neocons of Saddam's vast WMD program.
I'm guessing part of the reason for this particular raid was to take back Saddam's secret files that the US gave him to help him leverage political power. How will the administration spin this turn of events without admitting they made a mistake by trusting this guy and handing him so much influence in the first place?
NPR also reported that some of his aides and bodyguards have been arrested.
