May 21, 2004

Chalabi's Information Collection Program used to spy for Iran, Newsday's Knut Royce reports. See my post from several hours ago that speculates as to how this might have worked.

First, this from Newsday:

The Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded that a U.S.-funded arm of Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress has been used for years by Iranian intelligence to pass disinformation to the United States and to collect highly sensitive American secrets, according to intelligence sources.

"Iranian intelligence has been manipulating the United States through Chalabi by furnishing through his Information Collection Program information to provoke the United States into getting rid of Saddam Hussein," said an intelligence source Friday who was briefed on the Defense Intelligence Agency's conclusions, which were based on a review of thousands of internal documents.

The Information Collection Program also "kept the Iranians informed about what we were doing" by passing classified U.S. documents and other sensitive information, he said. The program has received millions of dollars from the U.S. government over several years...

At the center of the alleged Iranian intelligence operation, according to administration officials and intelligence sources, is Aras Karim Habib, a 47-year-old Shia Kurd who was named in an arrest warrant issued during a raid on Chalabi's home and offices in Baghdad Thursday. He eluded arrest.

Karim, who sometimes goes by the last name of Habib, is in charge of the information collection program.

The intelligence source briefed on the Defense Intelligence Agency's conclusions said that Karim's "fingerprints are all over it."


Whole piece is here.

I must say, I'm fairly impressed with how close so far some of what I have heard and have posted is to what's coming out later in sources such as Knut Royce. It IS the ICP....is exactly what I've heard. And the neocons. are. imploding. over. the. issue. of. Chalabi.

I am also wary. But not as wary as some, who maybe cannot believe that this is finally happening. Neocon sources are quite clear however that the evidence against Chalabi, and the nature of what he passed to Iran is so damaging, it is taking this Chalabi house of cards down.

Also: the "China compound" raided in Baghdad yesterday does house the Information Collection Program, but does not include Chalabi's residence, I learned. They have Chalabi's personal computer. US intelligence will. never. let. Chalabi. in. again.

Also, I heard, don't rule out Feith.

Update: Well informed friend says that while Royce is usually very good, the explanation in this article seems "too perfect." Perhaps.


Posted by Laura at May 21, 2004 11:38 PM