The Resistible Rise of Ahmad Chalabi

There are lots of conspiracy theories flying around about why Chalabi ended up the recipient of a visit by the American jack-booted thugs. I've been over this ground a few weeks ago. It appears that Chalabi was given the right to rule Iraq by the neocons on two conditions:

• that he allow Israelis privileged access to the Iraqi economy; and


• that he ship Iraqi oil to Israel through a pipeline to Haifa.

When he reneged on these promises, the neocons went apeshit (note Zell's comments), but decided to give him a few weeks to see the error of his ways (note the continued support of Ledeen and Frum). When he was either unable or unwilling to sell his country out to the Israelis, the neocons decided to replace him. If you don't yet have him in your dead pool, you're missing out on a sure thing.