The Emperor Is Coming Here?!

So, I have to admit that I don't expect much after a visit to the porta-johns. Usually, it's exit, wash hands, and go back to work. Not exit, wonder why there are two Iraqi Police trucks with heavy weapons parked right in front, and turn and see large progression of Iraqi Police and bodyguards accompanying important-looking figure and trailing journalists meandering down the road from the front gate to our compound. Were this a movie, the cigarette might have fallen from my mouth at this point (not that I smoke that often – I'm actually under orders not to). These are not everyday occurrences. By which I mean that these things don't ever happen.

Instantly curious, I watched the important-looking procession walk by and into our power plant of a home before scampering (yes, I still scamper) back to our Company's office to find out what the deuce was going on. There I bumped into one of our interpreters, Moon, who was uncharacteristically huddled inside hiding from the VIP and his gang. Recognizing my confusion, he commented "This is not a good man – maybe you have heard of him – Ahmed Chalabi?"

"*THE* Ahmed Chalabi?" I gasped, choking on my imaginary cigarette.

The Ahmed Chalabi, for those of you who don't know (and those who do and are my friends are sneering at his name, I'm sure) is probably the signature Iraqi weasel. Former head of an exile group called the Iraqi National Congress, he's one of the main guys to influence our government into believing things like Saddam is connected to Al-Qaeda, or there's proof of a WMD program, or that we'll be greeted as liberators. Manipulative and slimy bastard, he was completely disavowed not too long ago after admitting that he fooled and bamboozled the US Government. And now? Now's he's in charge of directing electricity and seven other ministries in reconstructing and supplying services for Baghdad. And the bastard was right here.

Oh, and here's a Wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Chalabi