The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it has cut the monthly income of an Iraqi group responsible for gathering intelligence in Iraq, which amounted to over $340,000. Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense, explained to members of the U.S. Congress that the budget cut allocated to the Iraqi National Congress is part of the process of transferring sovereignty to the people of Iraq. Ahmad Chalabi leads this group and has been appointed as a member of the Iraqi Governing Council by the U.S. Senior Pentagon officials had previously referred to him as a potential leader after the war. Mr. Wolfowitz denied that the budget cut was a result of providing misleading information that led to the U.S. attack on Iraq last year, stating that the Iraqi National Congress has provided 'very valuable' information to coalition forces in Iraq, which has been of great importance. According to an article published in yesterday's New York Times, Mr. Chalabi's group has received at least $27 million from Washington over the past four years.
Cutting Payments to the Iraqi National Congress - 2004-05-19
The U.S. has cut funding to the Iraqi National Congress, led by Ahmad Chalabi, as part of the transition of sovereignty to Iraqis. Paul Wolfowitz stated that the cut is not due to any misinformation but rather reflects the ongoing political process. This is significant as it highlights the changing dynamics of U.S. support in Iraq.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The U.S. Department of Defense announced a cut in funding to the Iraqi National Congress, led by Ahmad Chalabi, as part of the transition of sovereignty to Iraqis. This decision was clarified by Paul Wolfowitz, who emphasized that the cut was not due to misinformation regarding the Iraq War.
- The Iraqi National Congress received over $340,000 monthly prior to the cut.
- Chalabi's group has received at least $27 million from the U.S. over four years.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Iraqi National Congress was a key player in the U.S. efforts to establish a new government in Iraq post-Saddam Hussein, but faced criticism for its ties to U.S. intelligence operations.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
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