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Wed 9 Nov, 2005 10:46 am
Ahmad Does D.C.: An Alternative Chalabi Itinerary
Arianna Huffington
11.08.2005
Fresh off this past weekend's return trip to Tehran, neocon darling Ahmad Chalabi hits Washington today -- his first visit to the nation's capital in over two years.
He's got a very busy schedule planned, including meetings with Condi Rice, Treasury Secretary John Snow, and national security advisor Stephen Hadley.
There is also talk of a possible private meeting with his longtime champion, Dick Cheney.
No word on where the Cheney/Chalabi reunion might take place. Perhaps at one of the Veep's undisclosed locations. Or maybe the St. Regis. I hear they have a nice breakfast.
According to administration sources, Chalabi won't be meeting with President Bush. Not because he deliberately and repeatedly provided the U.S. government with false intel, convinced Cheney our troops would be greeted as liberators, tried to sabotage the UN's efforts to put an interim government in place, and was accused by the Bush administration of spying for Iran. No, all that has apparently been forgiven. Bush just doesn't want to appear to be playing favorites by meeting with any Iraqi candidates until the December 15 election is over. I guess the meetings with Bush's cabinet members -- and the $340,000 a month the White House gave to Chalabi in the lead up to the war -- is endorsement enough.
But Chalabi's trip won't just consist of cozy tête-à-têtes with administration big-shots. He'll also deliver a speech to the American Enterprise Institute -- an organization, according to its mission statement "dedicated to preserving and strengthening the foundations of freedom". No, the topic of his talk isn't "The Rebirth of Irony". It's "An Insider's View: Democratic Politics at Work in Iraq". On second thought, maybe it is on the rebirth of irony after all. Among the questions Chalabi will be addressing: "Will the constitution provide the foundation for a democratic system that can be a model for the Middle East?" According to Matthew Yglesias: "That's easy. The answer is no."
So it looks like Chalabi is pretty booked up. But, with all due respect, I'd like to suggest some additions to Mr. Chalabi's D.C. itinerary.
1. FBI Headquarters. Chalabi is currently under investigation, suspected of telling the Iranian government that America had broken the code it used for secret communications -- an offense the administration said could "get people killed". When this information came to light 17 months ago, Condi Rice promised a criminal investigation of the charges. But close to a year and a half later, the FBI has still not questioned Chalabi. Now seems like a perfect time. Condi can walk him over to the Hoover Building after their meeting and make all the necessary introductions.
2. United States Congress. I'm sure the Senate intelligence committee (or at least its Democratic members) would like to speak to Chalabi as part of the Phase II investigation into the Bush administration's use of false and misleading intelligence to help sell the war -- false and misleading intelligence that Chalabi, after all, played a central role in supplying. I'd love to see Dick Durbin grill Chalabi under oath about his relationship with the White House Iraq Group, his relationship with Curveball, and his predictions of a problem-free occupation. Members of the House, including John Conyers, are also very interested in talking to him. It might be very useful for the Deputy Prime Minister (and wanna-be PM) to get "An Insider's View of Democratic Politics at Work in America".
3. New York Times Washington Bureau. I'm sure that Bill Keller and Jill Abramson would fly to down for the chance to talk to Chalabi about his relationship with Judy Miller and find out exactly how he managed to convince her to write utterly bogus front page stories like the one about the engineer who swore he had personally seen 20 different WMD sites (Miller's story on the engineer, whom Miller deemed "reliable" and "credible", came just three days after he had failed a CIA lie detector test). (Note to Chalabi: don't be surprised it Pinch Sulzberger declines to fly down for the meeting).
4. Arlington National Cemetery. And finally, how about a quick meet and greet with the families of the over 17,000 U.S. soldiers killed or wounded in a war Mr. Chalabi was central in selling to our leaders? Maybe he can reminisce about the Pentagon meeting held a week after 9/11 during which he made the case for taking on Iraq. He can also explain what he meant in 2004 when he shrugged off charges he had deliberately trumped up claims about Saddam's WMD by saying, "We are heroes in error". He can then lead a discussion about who are the bigger heroes, Chalabi or the 2,057 American soldiers who have died in Iraq.
So what do you say, Ahmad? You up for a little detour from your planned comeback tour? I've got a feeling it would prove very educational -- if not for you, then certainly for the American public.
Dick Durbin Tees Off re Chalabi
Dick Durbin Tees Off
by Arianna Huffington
11.08.2005
Getting ready to take my 14 year old to school this morning, I turned on C-SPAN 2. "Oh, no, not C-SPAN 2 again," she said. I was about to concede and switch over to Katie and Matt when I was suddenly captured by the power and passion of what I was hearing.
Sen. Dick Durbin was fuming with outrage over Ahmed Chalabi's arrival in Washington today:
I don't understand this. While the Department of Justice is actively investigating this man for wrongdoing that could have endangered American troops and American lives, the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury are hosting him like some dignitary.
My thoughts exactly. We contacted his office and got a copy of his speech. The rest of Durbin's impassioned statement, focusing on the imperative need for a thorough, unblinking investigation into the misuse of pre-war intel was just as compelling -- so I'm posting it here in its entirety. Read it and get determined not to let Sen. Roberts sweep the Senate's Phase II investigation under the Senate rug:
Mr. Durbin: It was a week ago that Harry Reid made a motion to the senate move into closed session under Rule 21. It is a rule that is rarely used but I was glad it was used that day because the purpose was absolutely essential for America to learn the truth about what happened before the invasion of Iraq.
Senator Reid made that motion in order to make certain that the Senate intelligence committee keep his word to the American people.
The Senate intelligence committee, some 20 months ago, promised that they would have a thorough, professional investigation of several major elements relative to intelligence.
One of the most important is whether any elected official or member of this administration in any way used intelligence or made statements that were not substantiated. In other words, were we misled purposely or deliberately by any elected official or member of the administration before the invasion of Iraq?
It is an absolutely critical question.
I'm glad the Senate intelligence committee made a commitment to initiate this investigation but we found, after waiting 20 months, little or nothing was happening.
15 months ago the chairman of the senate intelligence committee, senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, called this investigation; phase II investigation, a top priority. And yet in march of this year, march 11, speaking to the Woodrow Wilson center, Senator Roberts said -- "This investigation was -- quote -- "on the back burner." Close quote.
Then just a few days later on March 31, Senator Roberts issued a press release after we had the report of a commission relative to this intelligence in which he said on pre-war intelligence -- "I think it would be a monumental waste of time to replow the ground any further."
It was very unclear whether the commitment was still there from Senator Roberts and the intelligence committee to keep their word to the American people to investigate this critical question.
Now yesterday the junior senator from Texas came to the floor arguing, I believe, that it was unnecessary to go forward with this investigation.
I think he's wrong.
He argued that if we find that any member of the administration misled the American people into believing that a war in Iraq and invasion were necessary that somehow this would discredit the bravery and heroism of America's troops.
I can't follow his logic.
The men and women in uniform are doing their country proud every day. They are risking their lives for America. They stand up for values that are essential, like family and faith and truth.
Why would this senate be reluctant to tell the American people the truth?
This is not just a test of the intelligence committee. This is a test of the Senate. It's a test of our constitutional responsibility, the responsibility of congress to protect the American people from an abuse of power by the executive or any elected official. It is a matter of the gravest importance.
If an elected official deliberately or recklessly misled the American people into believing that there was cause for the invasion of Iraq, that is a serious abuse of power.
We know that Senator Roberts promised this investigation almost two years ago. Because of our motion to go into closed investigation, a bipartisan agreement was reached and under that agreement, in just six days, Senator Roberts and two of his designees will announce with three democratic designees the schedule for completing this important investigation.
Mr. President, when we closed the Senate we accomplished more in two hours than we had accomplished in two years, moving this investigation forward.
When the junior senator from Texas came to the floor and said that this investigation was unnecessary because an earlier group had investigated it, he referred specifically to the Silberman-Robb commission.
What he did not put into the record should be included, and I quote from the commission. Quote -- "we were not authorized to investigate how policy-makers used the intelligence assessments they receive from the intelligence community. Accordingly, while we interviewed a host of current and former policy-makers during the course of our investigation, the purpose of those interviews was to learn about how the intelligence community reached and communicated its judgments about Iraq's weapons programs, not to review how policy-makers subsequently used that information." End quote.
That is the question. That is the issue.
And for the Senator from Texas to say the Silberman-Robb commission has dealt with that issue is not factual, and it's not accurate, based on the words of that commission.
He went further to say that the phase one investigation also took care of the question. It did not.
I served on the intelligence committee. We purposely divided this into two investigations. First, any failings or shortcomings of intelligence agencies. Second, any misuse of this intelligence information by policy-makers and elected officials.
That is the responsibility we have to go forward.
It is not clear when the Senate intelligence committee would have finished its work had we not filed this motion to have a closed session here in the United States Senate. But now the promise has been made, not just to fellow colleagues, not just to the Congress, but to the American people.
I think that we need to know the truth.
If a policy-maker in this administration deliberately misled the American people, we should know that. If we find from the evidence it did not occur, we should also know that.
Let us pursue the truth. Let us make sure the Senate intelligence committee keeps its promise to the American people.
We know that there are many areas of statements made by the president, by the vice president, the secretary of state, and the secretary of defense that were just plain wrong.
There were no weapons of mass destruction. When it came to the aluminum tubes, there was a serious disagreement within the administration, between the C.I.A. and the Department of Energy as to whether those aluminum tubes really were evidence of a buildup of nuclear weapons.
We also know that statements by the administration about a connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 were just false. There was no evidence to back it up.
We know now about the notorious statements in the president's State of the Union address about whether or not we obtained -- or whether Iraq, rather, obtained yellow cake for nuclear weapons. It turned out to be totally false and bogus.
The question that has to be asked is whether or not this administration and its spokespersons knew ahead of time the information they were giving to the American people was not accurate. That is the essential inquiry that must take place.
Mr. President, I also would like to note that something curious is happening in Washington today. There is a man by the name of Ahmed Chalabi who is visiting Washington.
Mr. Chalabi is under active investigation. He is under investigation for the charge that he leaked intelligence, including the fact that the United States had broken a crucial Iranian code and that he turned that information over to the Baghdad station chief of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
Of course if that happened, Mr. Chalabi endangered American troops and American security. As a result of this charge against Mr. Chalabi, on May 20 of last year, his residence was searched by the Iraqis with the cooperation of American forces in Iraq to see if evidence could be found.
Now, that's a serious charge -- that we would somehow jeopardize the security of America's troops and our national security and whether this man leaked sensitive information and the fact that he's under active investigation by the F.B.I. is proof-positive that we're taking this seriously.
So where can we find Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi this week? Well, we'll find him in Washington. He has an appointment to sit down and break bread with Treasury Secretary Snow and the secretary of state, Condoleezza rice, and then a little later this week he's going to give a speech to the American Enterprise Institute.
Does this sound like a man under active investigation or a man who is being actively lauded by this administration?
I don't understand this. While the Department of Justice is actively investigating this man for wrongdoing that could have endangered American troops and American lives, the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury are hosting him like some dignitary.
So don't be surprised if you watch the Chalabi motorcade speed up when they pass the Department of Justice. I guess they're concerned whether an F.B.I. agent will come out and pursue this so-called active investigation.
It is very difficult to track how this man, who gave us such misleading information before the invasion of Iraq, now under active investigation for endangering American troops is now the toast of the town at the Department of Treasury and the Department of State.
I don't follow their logic and I certainly don't follow the pursuit of justice if they don't have an active investigation included so we know whether or not Mr. Chalabi has endangered American lives.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. Chalabi Comes to Washington
Mr. Chalabi Comes to Washington
by Rep. John Conyers
11.08.2005
This week, infamous intelligence fabricator Ahmed Chalabi, will be visiting Washington. I have heard rumors that he will be staying in a luxurious bloc of eight suites at the Ritz Carlton hotel and that he has meetings arranged with high ranking Administration officials, including Secretary of State Rice.
This is a man who was reportedly the source for much of the cooked up and fraudulent intelligence foisted on the American people to justify going to war with Iraq.
That fraud has now resulted in the death of over 2,000 American soldiers. This is a man who has been accused of passing U.S. intelligence secrets to Iran. This week, he is being greeted as an esteemed dignatary by Secretary of State Rice. That is a disgrace.
While he is here, I have some questions for him and I -- and many of my colleagues -- want to meet with him to discuss those questions. He needs to answer for his role in one of the most tragic scandals in American history. I have attached below a letter from me and 19 of my colleagues asking for a meeting (that number is not complete, nor is the list of names complete. In a very short -- almost unreasonable -- period of time, the signatures are literally pouring in).
November 8, 2005
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi
Iraqi National Congress
c/o The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
3100 South Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Dear Mr. Deputy Prime Minister:
In the months leading up to the present conflict in Iraq, information from your close circle of associates was a key element in the Bush Administration's effort to convince the public of the need to go to war. As one of the leading Members of the Iraqi National Congress, you were responsible for providing a major portion of the information the Bush Administration used to persuade Members of Congress and the American people that a war with Iraq was neccessary.
Most notably, an "Iraqi chemical engineer" designated "Curveball" supplied hundreds of pages "firsthand" descriptions of mobile biological and chemical weapons facilities to the United States Defense Intelligence Agency. Secretary of State Colin Powell later used this information in his February 2003 address to the United Nations detailing the state of Iraq's weapons programs.
Since then, the Congress and the American public have determined that these "firsthand" accounts were entirely fabricated. Moreover, we have learned that "Curveball" is, in fact, the brother of one of your top lieutenants within the Iraqi National Congress. Secretary Powell has since apologized for the use of such "intelligence" in making his case for the invasion of Iraq. However, neither you nor your associatees have ever fully accounted for the role you played in the buildup to this war, or for the $340,000 you and your associates received every month from the United States intelligence community for your efforts in gathering "evidence."
We respectfully request that you make yourself available to us to explain the details and reasons for your involvement in the manipulation of intelligence as the Bush Administration pushed for war. It is vital to the integrity of both our democracies that the truth behind these terribly destructive events be known.
In 2002, you told the New York Times that the Iraqi people "are grateful to President Bush for liberating Iraq, but it is time for the Iraqi people to run their affairs." As members of Congress and concerned citizens, we, too, seek an end to this war and a conclusion to the violence that has plagued both our countries for years. Your cooperation in this investigation will serve as an invaluable aid to the American people as we labor towards a final resolution in Iraq.
We therefore encourage you to meet with us during your visit to the United States this week, explain your actions to the public, and help the people of both Iraq and the United States to understand why we are at war today. Please reply through the Judiciary Committee Democratic office, 2142 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, (tel: 202-225-6504; fax: 202-225-4423).
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.
Maurice Hinchey
George Miller
Raul M. Grijalva
Chris Van Hollen
Susan Davis
Michael McNulty
Grace Napolitano
Lloyd Doggett
Ted Strickland
Ellen Tauscher
Jim McDermott
Jay Inslee
Marci Kaptur
Jan Schakowsky
Donald Payne
Cynthia McKinney
Hilda Solis
Robert Wexler
I know I read about his visit a few days ago. I can't understand it myself and I agree whole heartedly with every word of Dick Durbin's.
Quote:Mr. President, I also would like to note that something curious is happening in Washington today. There is a man by the name of Ahmed Chalabi who is visiting Washington.
Mr. Chalabi is under active investigation. He is under investigation for the charge that he leaked intelligence, including the fact that the United States had broken a crucial Iranian code and that he turned that information over to the Baghdad station chief of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
Of course if that happened, Mr. Chalabi endangered American troops and American security. As a result of this charge against Mr. Chalabi, on May 20 of last year, his residence was searched by the Iraqis with the cooperation of American forces in Iraq to see if evidence could be found.
Now, that's a serious charge -- that we would somehow jeopardize the security of America's troops and our national security and whether this man leaked sensitive information and the fact that he's under active investigation by the F.B.I. is proof-positive that we're taking this seriously.
So where can we find Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi this week? Well, we'll find him in Washington. He has an appointment to sit down and break bread with Treasury Secretary Snow and the secretary of state, Condoleezza rice, and then a little later this week he's going to give a speech to the American Enterprise Institute.
Does this sound like a man under active investigation or a man who is being actively lauded by this administration?
I don't understand this. While the Department of Justice is actively investigating this man for wrongdoing that could have endangered American troops and American lives, the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury are hosting him like some dignitary.
Indeed.
This guy gives us horseshit intelligence and is a known criminal and we squire him around Washington.....?
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