¶ … Baghdad," written by Christopher Dickey. It appeared in the January 21, 2002 issue of the magazine. This article profiles 57-year-old Ahmed Chalabi, who fans call "Saddam Hussein's worst enemy," and critics call "some kind of scam artist." The article tries to discover who he really is, and why he is determined to oust Saddam Hussein from his dictatorship in Iraq.

Chalabi was educated in the U.S. At the University of Chicago and MIT. He studied mathematics, and eventually became a banker in Jordan. In 1989 King Hussein, who was Jordan's king at the time, took over Chalabi's bank, called the Petra Bank. It turns out that Hussein was "deeply involved with Saddam both politically and financially." Chalabi escaped from the country with a phony passport, and eventually settled in London, where he now has his offices. He was tried in absentia in Jordan, and convicted of embezzling many millions of dollars. While he claims the king set it all up, he has many detractors in Jordan, who have never forgiven him for bankrupting them. An interesting side note to Chalabi's background is that he comes from a respected Shiite family in Iraq that was "closely tied to the monarchy that was overthrown in 1958."

Chalabi has won the support of many people on Capitol Hill, and his organization, the Iraqi National Congress, has received millions of dollars to damage Saddam and his regime....

The author says that the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, which was approved by Congress, and appropriated $97 million dollars, was "written largely with Chalabi and his group in mind."
Chalabi faces many critics, who wonder why he is so determined to fight for Iraq. The State Department and CIA both pretty much ignore him, seeing him as "ineffectual." The State Department has notified him they will cut off his funds, if his INC group does not start to keep accurate records of their finances and expenses. Chalabi says they will give the State Department the records, and feels they are picking on him without a reason.

Chalabi's procedure for gaining control in Iraq would involve the United States seizing Southern Iraqi air bases, and defending them with troops. Allies to Chalabi's INC would begin guerrilla operations to support the U.S. troops. Chalabi also foresees thousands of defectors and Iraqi Army deserters joining in the fight against Saddam, and ultimately removing him from power.

INC also has many supporters, who believe Chalabi's group has not been as ineffectual as the State Department and others believe. During the 1990s, Chalabi lived in Northern Iraq, and allied with the Kurds, who were living in the same mountains, protected by the no-flight zone patrolled by American aircraft. While Chalabi worked to create a cohesive group, many defectors joined his…