Worth reading: This analysis of Ahmed Chalabi and the neocons in the Pentagon.
I'm a tad skeptical about the links between Chalabi and Iran. These links were surely known for some time -- published reports hinted at them even when Chalabi remained in Bush's good graces. Now that Chalabi is officially designated a Bad Man, the press is shocked, shocked to discover that he had passed information to the dreaded Iranians.
Backchannel information exchanges are nothing new. Such exchanges are a way for intelligence professionals to open up dialogue with counterparts in adversarial nations. Chalabi may have been part of such an exchange.
The above-mentioned analysis claims that neoconservative Pentagonians gave Chalabi access to some highly-sensitive intercepts, which he then passed on to Iran. And who, you ask, is the source of this claim? An unnamed "intelligence source" at CIA.
I've long tended to interpret events in terms of the subterranean "battle" between CIA and the neocons. Naturally, I see the latest allegation against Chalabi in this light, and I wonder if the Agency was truly surprised when the leaked intercepts showed up in Tehran.
If those close to Chalabi (Feith, Ledeen and that crowd) are found guilty of a security lapse, then we may finally see some heads roll in the Bush administration.
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