Sunday, August 29, 2004

The pro-Saudi, pro-American daily Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (used to be edited by the current head of Al-Arabiyya TV) has an interesting story today. It says that the recent US raid on the headquarters of international embezzler Ahmad Chalabi's "party" was related to suspicion that Chalabi was behind the sudden return of Sistani into Iraq, and his presentation of a new initiative that wound up saving Muqtada As-Sadr. The paper says that Chalabi also urged Sistani to call on Shi`ites to go toward An-Najaf to save it. It looks like Chalabi is cementing his alliance with Muqtada As-Sadr. The paper also said that As-Sadr was injured in his hand when some of his followers attempted to stab him when he considered negotiating directly with the Iraqi puppet government of `Allawi. Did I tell you that Tommy Franks mentions in his memoirs that Chalabi had told him that he was going to unite all Iraqis behind him when he leads the country after liberation? Did I? Hello? Is anybody there? Why won't you answer me, damn it?