Ahmad Chalabi: A Long Journey to Triumph in Iraq

Arrows of the Night: Ahmad Chalabi's Long Journey to Triumph in Iraq: Ahmad Chalabi and the Selling of the Iraq War

by Richard Bonin

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2930 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	320 pages
Hardcover	:	608 pages
Item Weight	:	5.09 pounds
Dimensions	:	7.25 x 2 x 1 inches

FREE

Ahmad Chalabi was a controversial figure in Iraqi politics. He was a leading member of the Iraqi National Congress (INC),an opposition group that advocated for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Chalabi played a key role in convincing the US government to invade Iraq in 2003. After the invasion, he served as a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and was appointed Minister of Finance in the Iraqi Interim Government.

Chalabi was a charismatic and ambitious man. He was also a skilled manipulator and opportunist. He was able to use his connections in Washington to gain support for the INC and to convince the US government to invade Iraq. However, Chalabi's legacy is also marred by allegations of corruption and treachery. He was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the Iraqi government and of providing false information to the US government about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Despite the controversies, Chalabi remains a significant figure in Iraqi history. He played a key role in the US-led invasion of Iraq and in the formation of the Iraqi government that followed. His legacy is complex and contested, but he will long be remembered as one of the most influential Iraqi politicians of his time.

Early Life and Education

Ahmad Chalabi was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1944. His father, Adnan Chalabi, was a wealthy banker and politician who served as Minister of Finance in the Iraqi government. Chalabi's mother, Suhaila, was a doctor. Chalabi had a privileged upbringing and attended the American University of Beirut, where he studied economics.

After graduating from college, Chalabi moved to the United States, where he earned a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago. He then worked as a banker and investment manager in New York City.

Involvement in the Iraqi Opposition

In the early 1990s, Chalabi became involved in the Iraqi opposition to Saddam Hussein. He founded the Iraqi National Congress (INC),an umbrella organization for various Iraqi opposition groups. Chalabi became the INC's leader and began to lobby the US government to support the overthrow of Hussein.

Chalabi was a skilled manipulator and opportunist. He was able to use his connections in Washington to gain support for the INC and to convince the US government to invade Iraq. However, Chalabi's legacy is also marred by allegations of corruption and treachery. He was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the Iraqi government and of providing false information to the US government about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Role in the US Invasion of Iraq

Chalabi played a key role in convincing the US government to invade Iraq in 2003. He provided the US government with intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program, which was later found to be false. Chalabi also helped to organize the Iraqi opposition and to plan the invasion.

After the invasion, Chalabi served as a member of the Iraqi Governing Council and was appointed Minister of Finance in the Iraqi Interim Government. He was also a key figure in the drafting of the Iraqi constitution.

Legacy

Chalabi's legacy is complex and contested. He played a key role in the US-led invasion of Iraq and in the formation of the Iraqi government that followed. However, his legacy is also marred by allegations of corruption and treachery. He was accused of embezzling millions of dollars from the Iraqi government and of providing false information to the US government about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Despite the controversies, Chalabi remains a significant figure in Iraqi history. He played a key role in the US-led invasion of Iraq and in the formation of the Iraqi government that followed. His legacy is complex and contested, but he will long be remembered as one of the most influential Iraqi politicians of his time.

Arrows of the Night: Ahmad Chalabi's Long Journey to Triumph in Iraq: Ahmad Chalabi and the Selling of the Iraq War

by Richard Bonin

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2930 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	320 pages
Hardcover	:	608 pages
Item Weight	:	5.09 pounds
Dimensions	:	7.25 x 2 x 1 inches

FREE