Chalabi's house raided by U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police (AP)

GIs, Iraq Police Raid Home of Former Ally

By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police raided the home of America's one-time ally Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday, seizing documents and computers. U.S. officials, meanwhile, disputed Iraqi claims that American aircraft bombed a wedding party near Syria's border, killing more than 40 people.

The raid and airstrike came amid rising public anger over the U.S. occupation, which an increasing number of Iraqis consider oppressive. The Americans plan to install an interim Iraqi government June 30 and formally end the occupation but retain significant military forces and influence over Iraqi affairs.

In the search of Chalabi's home in Baghdad's Mansour district, U.S. soldiers surrounded the compound and armed Americans in civilian clothes and flak jackets were seen milling about.

A Chalabi aide, Haidar Musawi, said a U.S.-Iraqi force arrived about 10:30 a.m., while Chalabi, a member of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, was inside. They told Chalabi's aides they wanted to search for wanted officials in Chalabi's party, the Iraqi National Congress.

A senior coalition official said on condition of anonymity that an Iraqi judge issued warrants "for up to 15 people" on allegations of fraud, kidnapping and "associated matters." Several people were arrested, and Chalabi was not a suspect, he said.

Iraqi police were seen loading boxes into vehicles, and neighbors said some members of Chalabi's entourage were taken away. Police took documents and a computer, according to an American witness. A portrait of Chalabi hanging on the wall had a bullet hole in the forehead.

Chalabi said police burst into his bedroom carrying pistols.

"I am America's best friend in Iraq," Chalabi told a news conference. "If the (coalition) finds it necessary to direct an armed attack against my home, you can see the state of relations between the (coalition) and the Iraqi people."

Musawi also said U.S. forces searched INC offices. Three security guards were arrested, though they were not linked to any allegations.

U.S. officials declined to comment on the raid. Privately, however, American authorities have said Chalabi is interfering with a U.S. investigation into allegations that Saddam Hussein's regime skimmed billions of dollars in oil revenues during the U.N.-run oil-for-food program.

Also, Chalabi complained recently about U.S. plans to retain control of Iraqi security forces and maintain widespread influence over political institutions after the transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition to an Iraqi interim administration.

"It's a provocative operation, designed to force Dr. Chalabi to change his political stance," said Chalabi aide Qaisar Wotwot.

For years, Chalabi's INC received money from the Pentagon, in part for intelligence passed along by exiles about Saddam's purported weapons of mass destruction.

Chalabi has been criticized since large stockpiles of such weapons were never found.

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz confirmed earlier this week, during testimony before Congress, that Washington has ended those payments of $340,000 a month to Chalabi's organization.

The CIA has not been paying the INC for intelligence and has long been suspicious of information provided by the group.

Chalabi, a former banker and longtime Iraqi exile, was convicted of fraud in absentia in Jordan in 1992 in a banking scandal and sentenced to 22 years in jail. He has repeatedly denied the charges.

Another source of Chalabi's tension with the coalition could be his calls for closer relations with Iran. Washington and Tehran have been at odds since Islamic revolutionaries ousted Iran's U.S.-backed shah in 1979 and held Americans hostage for more than a year.