[Ahmad al-Chalabi came to international attention not for his
politics, but for fleeing to London from Jordan in 1989 amid
allegations he had embezzled millions from the bank he used to own. . . .
The long-time face of the Iraqi opposition in Washington, Chalabi
took the reins of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), an umbrella
organisation created in 1992 with the assistance of the CIA.--"Unveiled: the thugs Bush
wants in place of Saddam," Sunday Herald, September 22, 2002
Naomi Klein, "What is Being Planned in
Iraq is Not Reconstruction but Robbery," The Guardian, April 14,
2003
Robert Fisk, "A New Colonial Oppression,"
The Independent, April 17, 2003
Enver Masud, "An Open Letter to the
People of Iraq," April 23, 2003
[The Pentagon has begun sending a team of Iraqi exiles to Baghdad
to be part of a temporary American-led government there, . . .
other exiles deeply suspicious of Ahmad Chalabi, the Iraqi National
Congress official who is seen as a Pentagon favorite. . . .
The team of Iraqi technocrats was selected by Deputy Defense
Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz but is officially employed by a defense
contractor, SAIC, . . . only a handful had agreed to be identified
by name. 'Most of these people believe that if they are seen as
agents of America, they will be killed,' . . .
By setting up office outside of the Pentagon, with telephone numbers
and e-mail addresses that gave no hint of their government ties, he
said, 'they have gone to some lengths not to be seen that
way.'--Douglas Jehl with Jane Perlez, "Pentagon Sending
a Team of Exiles to Help Run Iraq," New York Times, April 26,
2003]
Sabrina Tavernise, "U.S. Tells Iraq
Oil Ministers Not to Act Without Its O.K.," New York Times,
April 30, 2003
[Previously, the US Army Corps of Engineers had described the
contract given to Halliburton -- run by US Vice President Dick
Cheney between 1995 and 2000 -- as putting out fires at oil wells
during the conflict. . . . Responding to questions from a US
Congressman, the US Army Corps of Engineers has revealed that the
contract included "operation of facilities and distribution of
products".--"Halliburton's
Iraq role expands," BBC News Online, May 7, 2003
[The proposal would give the United States far greater authority
over Iraq's lucrative oil industry than administration officials
have previously acknowledged. Buffeted by charges that the United
States was launching a war to gain control over Iraq's oil fields,
administration officials have for months sought to assure
governments that Iraq's oil revenue would remain in the hands of the
Iraqi people after the ouster of president Saddam Hussein.--Colum
Lynch, "U.S. to Propose Broader Control Of Iraqi Oil, Funds,"
Washington Post, May 9, 2003]
[" Washington and London sent a letter to the council president
recognizing their responsibilities and obligations under
international law 'as occupying powers.'
Under the proposal, the 12-month initial authorisation would be
automatically renewed unless the Security Council decided otherwise.
Since the United States and Britain have veto power in the council,
they could block any attempt to get them to leave Iraq . . ."--"US and Britain seek to limit UN role in Iraq,"
Associated Press, May 9, 2003]
[If Iraq is now handled openlyÑmeaning the war really was about
liberating Iraq from a dictator and the rest of the world from a
security threat, as the Bush Administration asserts, and not about
gaining control of oil reserves, as much of the rest of the world
believes - it will be a historic first.--Donald L. Bartlett and James
B. Steele, "Iraq's Crude Awakening," Time Magazine, May 10,
2003]
[The President said, . . . "I want you to pardon Chalabi." And he was
stunned, because, you know, how can he pardon Chalabi after what he had
done.--Seymour Hersh, "Iraq
"Moving Towards Open Civil War," Democracynow.org, May 11, 2005]
[The Centre for Public Integrity in Washington counts Halliburton's windfall
at more than $US10 billion - a little bit coming from the US Treasury but
most coming from Iraqi oil revenue that is supposed to be used to
reconstruct the country for the benefit of the people. The centre counts
another 30 members of the Defence Policy Board with ties to American
companies with $US76 billion (as of 2002) in largely uncontested and
un-auditable military contracts.--"Cheney's
boundless Iraq profiteering," The Age, July 31, 2005]
