Chalabigate
"Weapons of Mass Deception"
2004-09-13
Chalabi aide in Israel
by Khalid Amayreh in the West Bank
Monday 13 September 2004 12:07 PM GMT
A key aide to Iraqi National Congress party leader Ahmad Chalabi has paid a visit to Israel to explore "future horizons" in Iraqi-Israeli relations
Midhat al-Alusi arrived in Tel Aviv earlier this week ostensibly to attend a conference on counter-terrorism at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Centre, a right-wing Israeli thinktank.
Al-Alusi, who heads the Iraqi interim government's "de-Baathification" campaign, voiced a desire to normalise relations with Israel, says Israeli press sources.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted the Iraqi official as saying there is widespread support in Iraq for the normalisation of relations with Israel.
"Many intellectuals in Iraq know that Israel must be taken into account as an existing fact and that generations of people have been born here. It is in Iraq's interests to have diplomatic relations with everyone, and that is what we want," he reportedly said.
Under the rule of Saddam Hussein, Iraq was considered among Israel's most implacable Arab foes and consistently supported Palestinian resistance groups fighting Israel's decades-old occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The current American-backed Iraqi government of Iyad Allawi has not established open relations with Israel, apparently out of fear of a public backlash from the powerful Shia religious establishment.
Strong lobby
Last week, the Iraqi ambassador to London told Haaretz there is a powerful lobby in Baghdad pushing for normalisation of relations between Iraq and Israel.
Israeli officials refused to comment on the visit, apparently heeding American advice.
Al-Alusi, who flew to Israel from Turkey, said he did not coordinate his visit to Israel with his boss, and admitted he might face problems when he returns to Iraq.
It is not clear if al-Alusi met secretly with Israeli officials or whether he discussed possible cooperation in the ongoing confrontation with armed Iraqi groups.
Chalabi had extensive relations with the pro-Israeli neo-cons in the Bush Administration, including such pivotal figures as Richard Pearl, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith.
Promises
He has also had contact with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful Israeli lobby in Washington, but it is not clear if he still maintains contact with the group.
According to some sources, Chalabi had promised AIPAC and American Jewish leaders, prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq, that the post-Saddam Iraqi government would normalise relations with Israel.
However, Chalabi's political fortunes have suffered considerably of late as the Bush administration has shunned him after he allegedly informed Tehran that the CIA had been able to penetrate Iranian intelligence codes.
Chalabi's offices in Baghdad have been raided several times by American and Iraqi troops accusing him of holding large sums of counterfeit Iraqi currency.
Chalabi has denied the charges, accusing the Americans and "certain elements within Iraq" of seeking to assassinate him politically.
ALJAZEERA
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Monday 13 September 2004 12:07 PM GMT
A key aide to Iraqi National Congress party leader Ahmad Chalabi has paid a visit to Israel to explore "future horizons" in Iraqi-Israeli relations
Midhat al-Alusi arrived in Tel Aviv earlier this week ostensibly to attend a conference on counter-terrorism at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Centre, a right-wing Israeli thinktank.
Al-Alusi, who heads the Iraqi interim government's "de-Baathification" campaign, voiced a desire to normalise relations with Israel, says Israeli press sources.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted the Iraqi official as saying there is widespread support in Iraq for the normalisation of relations with Israel.
"Many intellectuals in Iraq know that Israel must be taken into account as an existing fact and that generations of people have been born here. It is in Iraq's interests to have diplomatic relations with everyone, and that is what we want," he reportedly said.
Under the rule of Saddam Hussein, Iraq was considered among Israel's most implacable Arab foes and consistently supported Palestinian resistance groups fighting Israel's decades-old occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The current American-backed Iraqi government of Iyad Allawi has not established open relations with Israel, apparently out of fear of a public backlash from the powerful Shia religious establishment.
Strong lobby
Last week, the Iraqi ambassador to London told Haaretz there is a powerful lobby in Baghdad pushing for normalisation of relations between Iraq and Israel.
Israeli officials refused to comment on the visit, apparently heeding American advice.
Al-Alusi, who flew to Israel from Turkey, said he did not coordinate his visit to Israel with his boss, and admitted he might face problems when he returns to Iraq.
It is not clear if al-Alusi met secretly with Israeli officials or whether he discussed possible cooperation in the ongoing confrontation with armed Iraqi groups.
Chalabi had extensive relations with the pro-Israeli neo-cons in the Bush Administration, including such pivotal figures as Richard Pearl, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith.
Promises
He has also had contact with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful Israeli lobby in Washington, but it is not clear if he still maintains contact with the group.
According to some sources, Chalabi had promised AIPAC and American Jewish leaders, prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq, that the post-Saddam Iraqi government would normalise relations with Israel.
However, Chalabi's political fortunes have suffered considerably of late as the Bush administration has shunned him after he allegedly informed Tehran that the CIA had been able to penetrate Iranian intelligence codes.
Chalabi's offices in Baghdad have been raided several times by American and Iraqi troops accusing him of holding large sums of counterfeit Iraqi currency.
Chalabi has denied the charges, accusing the Americans and "certain elements within Iraq" of seeking to assassinate him politically.
ALJAZEERA
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Milton Frihetsson, 19:25
