Remember the one time Pentagon favorite Ahmed Chalabi? First, he is under indictment (or maybe convicted) of bank fraud in Jordan. He played a big roll in the U.S.-funded INC (Iraqi National Congress) which provided "Iraqi eyewitnesses" to testify before the U.S. Congress regarding Saddam's possession of WMDs in the runup to the war. He was a personal favorite of Paul Wolfowitz (a neocon who was then Assistant Secretary of Defense and is now President of The World Bank). Pay attention because all this comes together down below...
Well, after the U.S. invasion of Iraq and no WMDs were found, Ahmed Chalabi fell out of favor. He just ran for a parliament seat in Iraq, and Iraqis rejected him! Two days ago it looked like Ahmed Chalabi who is a deputy Prime Minister under this current government was out in the cold. But this cat has more lives than a cat!
The price of gasoline has gone up 5 fold in Iraq recently. I learned yesterday that gasoline subsidies are being eliminated for ordinary Iraqi as part of a debt restructing scheme. Now, I am assuming that international lenders like The World Bank are demanding that Iraq privitize its oil industry and put it up for international (no bid?) contracts. Recent reports have stated that western oil companies stand to profit between 42 and 162% on their investment. Today I learned that Ahmed Chalabi is lo and behold the acting Iraqi Oil Minister. He is friends with Wolfowitz, with the neocons, with Rumsfeld. Oh yeah, both Bush and Cheney are oil men. This is about oil stupid. First that link and then the current revelation of Chalabi's latest reincarnation.
It's the Oil, Stupid!
Iraqi deputy PM takes over oil ministry
Iraqi deputy PM takes over oil ministry
BAGHDAD, Dec. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi was appointed acting oil minister, replacing the incumbent oil minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Ulum, officials said on Friday.
Chalabi assumed the post after Ulum was given leave, the officials said.
Ulum threatened earlier that he would resign if the government did not back down on the decision to raise the oil price.
The government's decision to raise oil prices drew wide criticism as well as insurgents' threat to attack oil transport vehicles in the northern Baiji oil refinery.