Chalabi Survives Assassination Attempt

Chalabi Survives Assassination Attempt

Sadr Aide Assassinated

Ahmad Chalabi’s convoy came under fire as he was returning to Baghdad from Najaf. Two of his bodyguards were injured, but he escaped harm. He was in Najaf consulting with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani before returning to the first meeting of the National Council, in the capital. Chalabi has been indicted on counterfeiting charges, but no prosecution has been initiated. His nephew, Salem, in London, has been charged with murder.

Chalabi made the conference. I was surprised to hear that he was an attendee. Last I knew, the number of seats for the old Interim Council members had been reduced from 20 to 19, and I had assumed that Chalabi was out because of the indictment. But obviously not. It is not a good sign that the US continues to install this fraud in high Iraqi political office. It reflects poorly on America.

In a separate incident, Bashir al-Jazairi, an aide to Muqtada al-Sadr was killed Wednesday on his way from Najaf to Baghdad. That road runs near several militantly Sunni towns were Saddam is still popular, and al-Jazairi may have fallen victim to Sunni terrorists. On the other hand, there is now a big feud between the Sadr movement and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the al-Dawa Party, because the latter two stood aside and let the Americans kill the Sadrists in Najaf (when they weren’t actively egging Washington on!) So the identity of the assassin is unknown at present.