Wall Street Journal Review & Outlook September 3, 2004 Charges Dropped Call it a victory for Iraq's fledgling rule of law. Iraqi politicians Ahmed Chalabi and his nephew Salem were cleared this week of charges brought against them last month by Judge Zuahir al Maliky. Both of the Chalabis had vigorously denied the allegations, which they said were politically motivated and which certainly looked suspicious to us. This wasn't the first time Judge Maliky had moved against Mr. Chalabi or his Iraqi National Congress, and the former exile has many rivals in the interim government.
The elder Mr. Chalabi returned to Baghdad three weeks ago to contest the counterfeiting charges. After meeting Judge Maliky, who has prosecutorial powers, Mr. Chalabi said Wednesday that the charges have been dropped. As for the separate murder charge brought against Salem by the same judge, a spokesman for the INC says that Judge Maliky has reduced it to a summons to appear as an informational witness. Salem Chalabi is the attorney in charge of the tribunal prosecuting Saddam Hussein, so the charges against him could only have brought joy to the Baathists who want to discredit the new government. Judge Maliky's behavior was especially dismaying because he was appointed by former U.S. regent in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer. And both the White House National Security Council and CIA have wanted to marginalize Ahmed Chalabi in favor of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Jockeying for power is inevitable in newly free Baghdad, but the U.S. didn't topple Saddam so that his successors could use prosecutors to eliminate rivals the way he did.
