There's this in the Washington Post today:
The Algerian mediator [Brahimi] had all but settled on Hussain Shahristani, a respected chemist and a Shiite, as his interim prime minister. But Shahristani withdrew his name Wednesday after it became clear U.S. authorities would not approve him, apparently after they conducted a background check, according to U.S. and foreign sources, in Baghdad and elsewhere.
Isn't that contradicted by this May 27 Independent article?
The spokesman for Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN envoy in Baghdad, reacted with fury after US officials were quoted as saying that Hussain Shahristani had emerged as the leading candidate.
...In New York, a UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said the report in yesterday's Washington Post was "pure speculation which is not helpful to the process".
...UN and British officials dismissed suggestions that the Americans had a sinister motive in putting out Mr Shahristani's name, and said that the information was simply out of date. Asked whether the Americans might have been trying to "bounce" Mr Shahristani into the post, a senior British official replied that "it was just a leak".
...In New York, a UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said the report in yesterday's Washington Post was "pure speculation which is not helpful to the process".
...UN and British officials dismissed suggestions that the Americans had a sinister motive in putting out Mr Shahristani's name, and said that the information was simply out of date. Asked whether the Americans might have been trying to "bounce" Mr Shahristani into the post, a senior British official replied that "it was just a leak".
And this May 25 Reuters article?
The United Nations is expected to pick Hussain Shahristani, a Shi'ite nuclear scientist who spent years in Abu Ghraib prison under Saddam Hussein, as premier of a new interim Iraqi government, U.S. sources said on Tuesday.
A State Department official said Shahristani was one of three finalists being considered for the post, but other sources said he was expected to get the job of leading the caretaker Iraqi government when the United States hands over power on July 1.
A State Department official said Shahristani was one of three finalists being considered for the post, but other sources said he was expected to get the job of leading the caretaker Iraqi government when the United States hands over power on July 1.
Well, whatever....
This is what really snags me:
May 28 Washington Post: The ongoing Chalabi-CIA struggle, essentially over who will control an independent Iraq's intelligence service and whether it will ultimately be used to destabilize Iran, is a topic for another day. The more immediate problems belong to Brahimi, who now must publicly deny that the United States is vetting and then passing or blocking his choices for prime minister and other jobs.
In the closed world of smoke and mirrors that exiles and intelligence agencies inhabit, Shahristani was a source on Hussein's weapons programs for U.S. government agencies and journalists, as were Chalabi, Ayad Allawi and many others.
In the closed world of smoke and mirrors that exiles and intelligence agencies inhabit, Shahristani was a source on Hussein's weapons programs for U.S. government agencies and journalists, as were Chalabi, Ayad Allawi and many others.
Everybody being considered was part of the bogus info! So we still install a duper as prime minister. That makes sense. Well, it makes as much sense as hiring Saddam's goon squads into the new police force and forming an Iraqi spy agency out of the remains of Saddam's Mukhabarat and beating the shit out of your own guys in a training exercise.
Okay, technically that doesn't say he provided bogus information. Just that he provided information.
But...he did try to pawn off the now discredited memo about Saddam's connection with Al-Qa'ida:
December 15, 2003
Although Iraqi officials refused to disclose how and where they had obtained the document, Ayad Allawi, a member of Iraq’s ruling seven-man presidential committee, said the document was genuine.
‘‘We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam’s involvement with Al Qaeda,’’ Allawi said. ‘‘But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far. It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with Al Qaeda, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks.’’
Indian Express article
Although Iraqi officials refused to disclose how and where they had obtained the document, Ayad Allawi, a member of Iraq’s ruling seven-man presidential committee, said the document was genuine.
‘‘We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam’s involvement with Al Qaeda,’’ Allawi said. ‘‘But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far. It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with Al Qaeda, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks.’’
Still, even Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress calls the bombshell memo "nonsense," and the U.K. Sunday Telegraph reporter who publicized it doesn't stand up too strongly for it either.
MSNBC article
Who's on first?
Hey, McClellan says Allawi's cool. That's enough for me.
McClellan spoke in praise of the former opponent of deposed President Saddam Hussein, although he withheld any details of the selection process for the new government, which is also to involve a president, two vice presidents and cabinet officers.
Boston.com article
