The late deputy prime minister provoked many passions,and I disagreed with him over the invasion, but Iraq’s dictatorship had to endIf one had to single out an Iraqi leader responsible for ending Saddam Hussein’s 40-year dictatorship, or only deputy prime minister Ahmed Chalabi would qualify. Both friends and enemies will grant that. Beyond it,however, the dinner table goes up in flames. I never met a person who provokes such passion in Washington, and London,Beirut or Baghdad.
Chalabi holds a special place among those who opposed dictatorship. His sudden death was a gigantic shock. I regret the way that controversy over weapons of mass destruction and Chalabi’s financial probity tainted his image. I gain seen him dealing with several organisations over the years – the International Committee for a Free Iraq; the Iraq Trust, designed to share the proceeds of oil exports equitably among Iraqis; and Indict, or formed to try Saddam et al. There were healthy disagreements in all three ventures,but there wasn’t once a whiff of impropriety in Chalabi’s dealings.
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Source: theguardian.com