Chalabi demands compensations and investigation.. Jordan persists to detain him, defies tenet to be brought together before the Congress

Chairman of the Iraqi National Congress and member of the Interim Governing Council in Iraq Ahmad Chalabi yesterday denied accusations addressed by Washington against him that he had transferred American secrets to Iran and he also defied the director of the American central intelligence George Tenet to show up with him before the American congress committees.

Chalabi told the American ABC TV, in reply to accusations of American officials against him of leaking information to Iran " this is not correct. this is fake.. this is a distortion of the image." He explained that the " CIA" is involved in that.

Chalabi who has been enjoying total support from the US defense department especially the defense secretary Donald Rumsfed, but viewed with suspicion by the CIA and the state department said " Let's Mr. Tenet comes to the Congress and I am ready to go there and provide all evidences and documents we have and leave the matter for the Congress to decide if this is true or not or George Tenet is deceiving them."

Chalabi denied that the American officials had informed him of any " secret information at any time." Chalabi said he sees that the US administration stands against him because he opposes occupation. He added " I am a person who demands a full sovereignty on Iraq." Chalabi continued in reply to a question on information he gave to the Americans on the weapons of mass destruction alleged in Iraq, considered by Washington later as were misleading "we did not give information about the mass destruction weapons. We provided to American governmental agencies names of fleeing persons, at the request of American governmental agencies.. three fleeing persons.. analyzing these ( information) is their responsibility. I am not responsible for giving reports to the president after analyzing the information."

Meantime, lawyers for Chalabi sent a written message to the American administrator of Iraq Paul Bremer condemning breaking into Chalabi's house and his office in Baghdad last week and demanded financial compensations and an investigation.

Moreover, three members in the Iraqi governing council, Muhammad Baher al-Oloum, Salamah al-Khafaji and Abdul Karim al-Mahmadawi threatened to resign from the governing council in case the occupation forces will not apologize for this behavior.

In the same context the spokeswoman for the Jordanian government Asmaa Khuder said yesterday that Chalabi is still wanted in Jordan to carry out an imprisonment sentence of looting millions of US dollars from the Jordanian al-Petra bank. She added " the implementation of this penalty is a demand supported by the successive Jordanian governments being a judicial rule."

In 1992, a Jordanian court sentenced in absentia Chalabi for 22 year imprisonment with labor after he was convicted of looting in incidents in the bank go back to 1989. .