Chalabi’s home and office raided by US troops.  Political figure or “mafya boss?”  After tens of millions in DoD funding, why is this so difficult to figure

Chalabi’s home and office raided by US troops.  Political figure or “mafya boss?”  After tens of millions in DoD funding, why is this so difficult to figure out?  Update:  Andrew Cockburn in Salon shows that Chalabi was in the process of developing non-state terrorist/criminal enterprise bent on undermining the provisional government.  People don’t realize that you can make mega-bucks in a failed state.  It looks like Chalabi responded to the allure of that non-state entrepreneurial wealth.  As Chalabi’s old acquaintance told me today, “I think the U.S. moved against him because they realized he is a gambler, ready to bring it all down.” [John Robb’s Weblog]

Of course he’s both, as are many political figures.