This from Knight Ridder:

A senior INC adviser, who requested anonymity, said ties between Chalabi and conservatives in Washington are exaggerated. For example, he said, Chalabi hasn't spoken to Cheney since before the war began in March 2003, and he hasn't spoken with U.S. government officials at all since the raid on his house.

and this from Newsweek's Mark Hosenball:

It now appears that the Bush administration's decision to distance the United States from Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi was considered at the very top. But the controversy over the intelligence activities of Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress may have a long way to go. Senior officials tell NEWSWEEK that President Bush and Vice President Cheney were briefed several weeks ago about intelligence indicating that someone in Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress gave the Iranian government "extremely sensitive" and "highly classified" info which could jeopardize U.S. intelligence sources and even "get people killed." Intelligence sources say potential suspects for the leak include Chalabi himself and his intelligence chief, Aras Habib. The National Security Council and other D.C. agencies also knew a couple of weeks in advance that Iraqi authorities had issued arrest warrants for some INC officials and were planning some sort of police action. The White House apparently did not know that authorities in Baghdad were planning to raid Chalabi's house; some officials were skeptical of Defense Department claims that top Pentagon officials were in the dark about the impending raid, since it was Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz who signed off on a decision to cut off a $340,000 monthly stipend that the Defense Intelligence Agency was paying the INC for intelligence gathering.

Sources said that Pentagon intelligence agencies—including the DIA, according to some officials—sent out confidential "referrals" asking the FBI to investigate the alleged INC leak of classified information to Iran. Law-enforcement sources say the FBI is investigating who in the INC might have leaked U.S. secrets to Iran—and who in the U.S. government might have leaked secrets to the INC. Chalabi and other INC reps have denied passing on any U.S. secrets.

I think my informed theory of a few days back stands. The White House was notified of the alleged INC intelligence breach to Iran by a foreign government, in mid April. Very possibly Britain, during Blair's trip to Washington April 16th. But it could have been another ally. I still think given the timing of the visit and the strength of the relationship, and other intelligence sharing arrangements between the two, it was most likely Britain.

Secondly, about Condoleezza Rice's meeting with the pro-Chalabi crowd last week. I am told Rice requested the meeting with Perle, Woolsey, Gingrich, Pletka, Rubin et al, to ask them not to go off the reservation, in reaction to the White House cut off of Chalabi. And if you have noticed, they have refrained for the most part from directing their public criticism directly at the White House, attacking the CIA, DIA and State instead for a policy decision that came from the very top.

Posted by Laura at May 30, 2004 09:38 AM