Article

2003-04-21 Iraq

Saddam âalive and in Iraqâ; Chalabi disses UN, Jordan, Shia Islamo-nuts

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Posted by Bulldog 2003-04-21 08:43 am|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 today Josh marshall runs a column dissing Chalabi, and promising future columns explaining (defending?) why State and CIA distrust him. Meanwhile its not clear whether new self-proclaimed governor of Baghdad is connected to Chalabi or not.

There seem to be several powers emerging - A. INC - pro-US and those locals interested in working with them (including Kurds) - B. pro-Iranian Shiites - mainly clerics (not all of the clerics though) and their supporters C. Pachecho (sp?) pro-UN, and with some support from State.
D. Sunnis in Baghdad and Mosul, very nervous, many formerly close to regime, trying to find an angle neither pro-US nor pro-Iranian.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 09:08:17|| 2003-04-21 09:08:17|| Front Page Top

#2 reuters now reports electricity restored in parts of east Baghdad.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 09:10:27|| 2003-04-21 09:10:27|| Front Page Top

#3 BBC reports Brits have restarted railroad service between Umm Qasr and Basra.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 09:20:04|| 2003-04-21 09:20:04|| Front Page Top

#4 power - ap reports thats one plant in NE Baghdad, powering up one neighborhood (including traffic lights) and an oil refinery. US officer says 1% of city has power, maybe 10% in a few hours.

Vague reports that its better in southern cities, but nothing more specific.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 09:40:59|| 2003-04-21 09:40:59|| Front Page Top

#5 centcom reported over weekend that water restored in Nassiriyah on 6 hour per day basis. 2 of 3 hospitals functioning, police and fire departments have started functioning. Still working on electric and sanitation

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 10:46:49|| 2003-04-21 10:46:49|| Front Page Top

#6 I'm not very happy about this Chalabi guy. I mean he hasn't been in Iraq for decades and he won't be seen as anything else but an US puppet. I'd prefer by far that the US run the show for now. Let's see if there is an opposition guy (must be some left?) from Iraq who shows sense and a can do attitude. In Germany Adenauer emerged. Maybe there is one in Iraq, too?

Posted by True German Ally 2003-04-21 12:54:32|| 2003-04-21 12:54:32|| Front Page Top

#7 uh TGA, wasnt Adenauer an exile?

In any case we had more time in Germany. In Iraq we have heavy pressure to have an Iraqi govt fairly soon.

Is Chalabi seen as a US puppet - why dont we wait and see what Iraqis say. Some do see him so - but many of those would see anyone not a cleric that way. Kurds dont see him that way.
What do we mean by "an opposition guy"? That wasnt a job inside Iraq under Saddam. We either get a "reformed" Baathist, a cleric, or an exile - aint no other leadership that I can see. Chalabi has been outside longer than other exiles, but his INC includes many recent exiles and has had important contacts inside.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 13:15:14|| 2003-04-21 13:15:14|| Front Page Top

#8 liberalhawk: Pachachi looks like this month's flavor of "moderate Taliban" -- a "Zionist lobby" nut who hangs with a bad crowd (nb: including the Saudis).

TGA: the only folks calling Chalabi a puppet seem to be in Foggy Bottom.

Posted by someone 2003-04-21 22:37:39|| 2003-04-21 22:37:39|| Front Page Top

#9 No Adenauer lived inside Germany, had problems with the Gestapo but didn't join open resistance. You could say he survived.

Posted by True German Ally 2003-04-21 14:03:08|| 2003-04-21 14:03:08|| Front Page Top

#10 am i confusing Adenauer with Willy Brandt?

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 14:24:07|| 2003-04-21 14:24:07|| Front Page Top

#11 Yes Brandt lived in exile in Norway

Posted by True German Ally 2003-04-21 15:14:21|| 2003-04-21 15:14:21|| Front Page Top

#12 so post war Germany was governed by a mix of locals and exiles. In Iraq something like 20% of the population went into exile (in contrast to Germany, where, IIRC, few other than Jews and communists went into exile.) So naturally the exiles will play a larger role in Iraq.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 15:41:34|| 2003-04-21 15:41:34|| Front Page Top

#13 Meanwhile, in the sunny Syrian seacoast town of Latakia...
http://www.cs.sunyit.edu/~riesbed/fark/fark_weekend.jpg

Posted by mojo 2003-04-21 15:43:11|| 2003-04-21 15:43:11|| Front Page Top

#14 The New Republic

Kanan Makiya, an INC exile, on his meeting with locals in Nassariyah.

"The much-vaunted divide between the so-called "exiles" and the so-called "authentic Iraqis" who never left Baathist Iraq, never materialized, as the near-unanimity on the de-Baathification question demonstrated. This was contrary to years of soi disant expert analysis from the State Department and the CIA. It turned out that many of the "internals" knew who Kanan Makiya was, and even, God forbid, liked a thing or two that he had to say. Why, they even mentioned his name in pleasant tones from the podium. "

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-04-21 15:50:27|| 2003-04-21 15:50:27|| Front Page Top

11:32 Anonymous
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