Chalabi the liar now in charge of Iraq's oil industry.

Ahmed Chalabi, the former President of the exiled Iraqi National Congress (pretty much a false claimant to the Iraqi throne) and Bush's original puppet to put in charge of newly "freed" Iraq (but Ahmed quickly was exposed as being unpopular in Iraq), has been put in charge of Iraq's oil industry---despite his total lack of experience. Chalabi was also a major source of Bush's false information about Saddam's non-existent WMD programs.

Supposedly, Ahmed's appointment is only temporary until the Iraqi gov't can finally decide on a more permanent replacement. But he was also named deputy prime minister, so this guy isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

But let's be realistic. Ahmed is very unpopular and not trusted in Iraq. So how'd he this most crucial appointment? The U.S. undoubtedly decided it, for both payback and for future benefit.

Kinda reminds me of when Bush put a Unocal employee (Karzai) in charge of Afghanistan. The pipeline deal isn't in motion yet, I don't believe, but it got a whole lot closer. Now the U.S. oil corporations are a whole lot closer to securing their "influence" in the Iraqi oil industry. (The recent statement by Pakistan and India that they're eager to work together economically just might put that pipeline right back on track.)

It's not wrong, per se, to try to get other nations in line with America. The more "friends" the better. But to use subversive means, it ALWAYS backfires. America tried to install a favorable Iraqi gov't in the 1950s by helping the Ba'athist coup that eventually put Saddam Hussein in charge. We see how that turned out. And we put the Shah in charge of Iran around the same time, and in 1979 the Iranian people revolted. They ousted the Shah (EDIT: not killed him, as I originally wrote in error) and put the America-hating Ayatollah Khomeini in charge. Plus they held 50 hostages which ended up getting Reagan elected. And there are many similar South American examples of failed manipulations.

So when I see Chalabi getting installed into high office in Iraq, I get anxious. If we can't get behind the leaders that the Iraqi people can get behind, then there is a growing potential for disaster. Every decision Chalabi makes in favor of the U.S. will be more reason for Iraqis to not trust their government. And that leads to violent upheavals. The last thing America needs is another Iran-like revolution, where the American puppet becomes a reason to hate America. That would put us right back where we started, and Bush's invasion all for naught.

(Unless you're Halliburton, and then it's all gravy baby. Another invasion means another stack of billions!)