Rumsfeld meets with Iraq's Chalabi (meets with Cheney too)

[sabra]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/politics/13166103.htm

Rumsfeld meets with Iraq's Chalabi

Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met Monday with Ahmad Chalabi, the former Iraqi exile tainted by the since-discredited claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

...

In a 45-minute meeting in Rumsfeld's Pentagon office, the two discussed the security and political situation in Iraq, and Chalabi expressed gratitude for the work of U.S. troops, a Pentagon official said, speaking only on condition of anonymity.

...

Later Chalabi met with Vice President Dick Cheney, and he also had talks with Robert Zoellick, the deputy secretary of state. Last week he met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley, President Bush's national security adviser.

In the Rumsfeld meeting, Chalabi underlined the importance of continued Defense Department assistance in developing a professionalized Ministry of Defense in Baghdad, the official said. Chalabi also emphasized the importance of improving the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the U.S.-led military coalition to improve the Iraqi security forces' ability to disrupt and ultimately defeat the insurgents, the official said.

[rodeodance]

1. Chris matthews asked WHY is he getting statesman-like treatment!!

just now on msnbc--the WH communications director is his guest--and she beat around the bush and did not respond.

[texpatriot2004]

2. Top US officials cavort with known conman and liar. n.t

[swag]

3. Birds of a feather flock together.

[never cry wolf]

4. Hmmm, getting their stories straight? ....n/t

[Sydnie]

14. I was thinking the same thing

Practicing interrogating each other so that they have their answers down pat. Perhaps, Dick wanted to try some of his CIA tricks out on them too.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Exchanging envelopes, no doubt.

[Faygo Kid]

6. Rumsfeld, Chalabi, Cheney. The Three Stooges.

[callady]

7. One Man's conspiracy

is anothers business deal.

Organized greed from the criminal class. Rummy-Cheney-Chalabi-Hadley and thief of thieves Zoellick.

[gizmo1979]

8. The real axis of evil.nt

[understandinglife]

9. BREAKING: Chalabi Meets with Cheney & Rumsfeld; White House Bans Photos ..

... Press Access

The Associated Press is reporting that Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met today with Ahmad Chalabi, the discredited neocon darling currently under FBI investigation for allegedly passing U.S. secrets to Iran:

More at the link:

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/11/14/chalabi-cheney

Peace.

[Dem Agog]

10. Guess They're Trying to Avoid the "Saddam and Rumsfeld" moment

Probably a smart move for the jerks...

[rocktivity]

12. This "Saddam and Rumsfeld moment?"

:headbang:
rocknation

[Dem Agog]

17. Yassir Mr. Nation...

That very one.

[rocktivity]

19. That's Ms. Rocknation to you!

;)
However, you're welcome.

:headbang:
rocknation

[babylonsister]

11. Photos are banned, so unless someone is on a political site,

no one will ever know they even met. Well isn't that special? Makes you wonder why they're hiding their relationship...

[tridim]

15. There are plenty of old photos

[Maggie_May]

13. The Dems should

be asking what the hell is he doing over here. This man should not be allowed in our county!

[rodeodance]

16. "the discredited neocon darling "

[rodeodance]

18. well, well--does the press just accept this?

.....Not surprisingly, Cheney and Rumsfeld preferred to have their meetings stay under the radar. Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank offered additional details on MSNBC’s Hardball:

Remember the biological weapons laboratories and restarting the nuclear program. certainly has a key role in this. He is not exactly getting the full red carpet state dinner treatment here. They spirited him in to talk to the Vice President today without allowing any photos or wouldn’t allow them to go to a stake-out afterwards. They are giving him that treatment, but they don’t want it to be observed.

[Disturbed]

20. Chalabi's road to victory

Commentary: Chalabi's road to victory
By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE
UPI Editor at Large

WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- With only three months to go before L. Paul Bremer trades in his Iraqi pro-consul baton for beachwear and a hard-earned vacation, the country's most controversial politician is already well positioned to become prime minister.

Ahmad Chalabi, the Pentagon's heartthrob and the State Department's and CIA's heartbreak, has taken the lead in a yearlong political marathon. Temporary constitutional arrangements are structured to give the future prime minister more power than the president. The role of the president will be limited because his decisions will have to be ratified by two deputy presidents, or vice presidents. Key ministries, such as Defense and Interior, will be taking orders from the prime minister.

Chalabi holds the ultimate weapons -- several dozen tons of documents and individual files seized by his Iraqi National Congress from Saddam Hussein's secret security apparatus. Coupled with his position as head of the de-Baathification commission, Chalabi, barely a year since he returned to his homeland after 45 years of exile, has emerged as the power behind a vacant throne. He also appears to have impressive amounts of cash at his disposal and a say in which companies get the nod for some of the $18.4 billion earmarked for reconstruction. One company executive who asked that both his and the company's name be withheld said, "The commission was steep even by Middle Eastern standards."

http://www.upi.com/inc/view.php?StoryID=20040329-094918-2616r

[cliss]

21. Well well.....the darling returns...

it's amazing how things can change in Washington. Ahmed Cha-Liar was recently disgraced in Baghdad; after a clandestine US operation to get rid of him. I remember how indignant he was, after the US confiscated his computer and broke into his home. Cha-Loser stood outside his home and hurled insults as GI's carried stuff out.

I thought, "Good. We've seen the last of him". Apparently not.

Now ChaLobby re-emerges on the scene, this time as the potential president in Iraq's election.

If ChaLarcenous learned one thing from the Americans, it's to hang in there long enough for them to take you back.

[goforit]

22. The three amigos....how quaint.

[Seabiscuit]

23. Same old, same old circle jerk.