McClatchy: U.S. Ditched Chalabi to Satisfy MalikiYesterday, NBC reported that the U.S. had finally cut off ties to Ahmed Chalabi because of “unauthorized” contacts with Iranian officials. Newsweek reported the same today, but said that Nouri al-Maliki’s government had acted first. McClatchy’s take is even clearer:
A State Department official said that this time the U.S. cut off Chalabi, who was appointed in September to head Maliki’s Services Committee, which is meant to help usher services into communities after they’re secured by U.S. and Iraqi troops, in deference to Maliki.“Maliki has effectively de-horsed him and asked us to maintain a similar position,” said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive interchanges with the Iraqi government. “My sense is that Maliki wants to marginalize and diminish Chalabi because he sees him as a pretender to the throne.”