Iraqi Official Aims to Refurbish Image

November 1st, 2005 10:25 pm

By Hamza Hendawi / Associated Press

Politically savvy and a sharp dresser with a perpetual grin, Ahmad Chalabi has gone from Washington insider, to alleged Iranian spy, to someone the Bush administration cannot afford to ignore — all in the space of two years.

Chalabi, a deputy prime minister, plans to travel this month to Washington to refurbish a reputation tainted by the since-discredited claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. At home, Chalabi has quit a Shiite political alliance criticized for its strong ties to Iran.

All this points to one thing: Chalabi is maneuvering to become Iraq's next prime minister after elections in less than two months.

That might seem a long-shot for Chalabi, an MIT graduate and former banker who is a controversial figure at home and abroad. But his political acumen and ability to survive leave both friends and foes in awe.

The balding, cherubic-faced Chalabi, who spent most of his life abroad, had been the Pentagon's choice to replace Saddam. But when his longtime foe was ousted, Chalabi ended up as one of 25 Iraqis picked by L. Paul Bremer, Iraq's former U.S. governor, to sit on the largely powerless Iraqi Governing Council.

His fortunes suffered another blow last year over allegations that he leaked intelligence information to Iran. The U.S. failure to find any weapons of mass destruction further tarnished his credibility. And Bremer turned to Chalabi rival Ayad Allawi as Iraq's first prime minister after Saddam.

Chalabi clearly hopes his visit to Washington, his first there in at least two years, will enable him to renew his ties with the Americans.

In Washington, a State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make announcements to the media, said efforts were under way to arrange a meeting for Chalabi with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Chalabi's top aide, Haider al-Mousawi, said meetings with Treasury Secretary John Snow and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley also were in the works.

The visit, which caps months of contacts between Chalabi and Bush administration officials, would signal the Iraqi politician's rehabilitation in Washington's eyes, providing him with considerable political capital in a country where the Americans wield vast influence.

In an interview with Newsweek, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad insisted that "Iraqis will decide" who becomes prime minister and avoided endorsing anyone. But the public perception that Chalabi has influence in Washington would be a plus.

After elections last January, Chalabi tried to win the prime minister's job but lost out to Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a fellow member of the Shiite alliance that won the biggest share of parliament seats.

Chalabi has since pulled out of the Shiite alliance and will run on his own ticket on Dec. 15. That virtually assures he will make a bid for the prime ministership. And his chances are better this time around.

The Shiite alliance is not expected to fare as well as in January. One reason is that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's revered Shiite cleric, does not intend to endorse the ticket. His backing was largely responsible for the January sweep.

The alliance is built around two major religious parties: the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, and al-Jaafari's Dawa Party. Both have been criticized for their close ties to Iran.

SCIRI, the senior partner in the ruling coalition, has been singled out for accusations that an affiliated militia wields the real power in Shiite areas of southern Iraq. The government has been widely criticized for failing to improve security and services. Many Iraqis also blame it for the near collapse of a food ration distribution system on which the majority of Iraq's estimated 27 million people depend.

Chalabi's secular views and his enduring image as a U.S.-backed outsider could hurt his chances. But he has been warming up to religious Shiite groups like the Fadhila Party and followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Al-Sadr's followers have been at odds with SCIRI for months and Fadhila is known to have differences with its partners in the alliance.

"Chalabi is entertaining hopes of an alliance between his new coalition, the Sadrists and Fadhila," said Ali al-Adeeb, a senior official of Dawa party. "He knows that it's the Islamic trend and not the liberals who will prevail in Iraq."

Chalabi is contesting the election on a single ticket that includes his Iraqi National Congress, a group that supports restoration of the monarchy and small Kurdish and Turkomen factions.

It's too late for other groups to join Chalabi before the election since the deadline for registering candidacies passed last Friday. But others such as Fadhila and the al-Sadr movement could forge an alliance in the new parliament.

Even if that happens, it is unlikely Chalabi would have enough seats to win election as prime minister unless he could gain the support of one or two major blocs. The Kurds, who have publicly criticized their Shiite government partners, could be such a partner.

A Shiite alliance weakened at the polls could look to Chalabi and his allies in hopes of retaining control of the government. If they do, Chalabi could name his price.

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