Anybody see this little ditty in the NY Times on 11/27

[Emillereid]

U.S. Plan in Iraq to Shift Control Hits Major Snag

<snip>
The view that the United States elections play a major role in shaping Iraq's political future is widely held among council members.

Ahmad Chalabi, another council member, said: "The whole thing was set up so President Bush could come to the airport in October for a ceremony to congratulate the new Iraqi government. When you work backwards from that, you understand the dates the Americans were insisting on." American officials deny that electoral concerns played a role in their planning.
<snip>
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/27/international/middleeast/27IRAQ.html?pagewanted=2

Does this administration do anything that's not connected to Bushit's election; anything that's not for photo-op purposes? Fake turkey -- fake president -- fake election!

[aquart]

1. Next October?

That was supposed to be the October Surprise? Nation building? Okay, you gotta appreciate the irony.

[BurtWorm]

2. Chalabi realizes he needs support in Iraq all of a sudden?

What's this about a fake turkey, anyway? I mean, the media won't ask if a Medicare prescription bill is fake, but a turkey? Now that's sexy!

[DemBones DemBones]

3. They're talking about Bush* going to the Baghdad airport NEXT

October, before the November 2004 elections. Personally, I don't think it will prove Iraq is a stable country if Bush* won't step foot outside the airport.

He goes to Baghdad and poses with a fake turkey inside the airport, he goes to the UK and hides in Buckhingham Palace, he goes to the Republic of the Philippines and is whisked out again in something like 5 1/2 hours. . . you can dress him up, but you can't take him anywhere!

[spindoctor]

4. There are currently 22 lookalikes seeking employment.

Granted, they look like Saddam Hussein, but with some plastic surgery and a ten gallon hat they could do a decent Bush impression.
Have them walk the streets of London and Baghdad.

Still wondering what happened to these guys we heard so much about before the war. That they can't fine one Saddam is bad enough, but in truth they can't find two dozen of them.

[Melinda]

5. Yes, it was in LBN - notice Chalabi turn on Bush*?

*That* is what struck me the most. Chalabi is Rummy's golden haired boy, yes? Chalabi's comments are out of lock-step... have his handlers lost control, is he jockying for more? Something seems very strange with this entire episode, of course this might also somewhat explain the private meeting with Chalabi on the day the turkey landed in Bahgdad....
Just rambling, random thoughts..........

[sleipnir]

6. Chalabi is the fall guy

Just wait, he's going to get a lot of blame for starting the war, and some of it is deserved. He's just trying to distance himself while he still can, not much long though...

No one wants get be a patsy, I can just here him saying "No one going to make a patsy out of Chalabi!"

[punpirate]

7. Whatever Chalabi is saying...

... it's for self-serving purposes, of that all can be assured. He expected Iraq to be his own private fiefdom by now. He's been shunted off (maybe because of the false information he was feeding the Office of Special Plans), and he's striking back.

Like most very brash people, he thinks he's going to win. He's forgotten that if he becomes too much trouble, a few soldiers will plop him in a hummer and drive him to the Jordanian border and turn him over to the authorities. He's only around now because he's useful to somebody.

Cheers.

[Melinda]

8. Fall Guy? Dunno... I think it's more like he is pissed off

Things haven't exactly panned out as he had planned, have they? With the current state of mind of those who consider themselves to be (and are) real citizens of Iraq sitting at that council table, I think maybe Chalabi realizes he is not going to be appointed President as promised... So much for the INC, eh?

Nope, Chalabi is now more likely a liability for Bush*, and he knows his days are numbered. He needs a new benefactor, and quick.

[maddezmom]

9. kick

timing is everything to the bush* administration.

[lostnfound]

10. Besides destroying environment & civil rights, making rich richer..

and building an empire?

No, not really.