Fury as US backs police raid on Chalabi home

Iraq’s governing council has reacted with fury after police backed by American soldiers raided the home and offices of Ahmad Chalabi, a prominent politician once groomed by the Pentagon as a possible replacement for Saddam Hussein.

The operation confirmed a growing rift between the United States and the former exile just six weeks before the return of Iraqi sovereignty. Two members of the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, of which Chalabi is a key member, said they were considering resigning in protest over the raid.