UPDATE ~ Chalabi named to deputy prime minister post in new Iraq cabinet News
UPDATE ~ Chalabi named to deputy prime minister post in new Iraq cabinet

[JURIST] Following up on a story reported Thursday on JURIST, prominent Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi [Wikipedia profile; JURIST news archive] was named deputy prime minister and acting oil ministry chief in the Cabinet approved Wednesday by the interim national assembly in Iraq [JURIST news archive]. At one point the US favorite to lead Iraq following Saddam Hussein's ouster, Chalabi appeared to fall from favor last year after he was linked to intelligence leaks to Iran, misleading information on Iraqi weapons and a counterfeiting scandal. Chalabi's recent appointments, as well as his nephew's installation as finance minister, leave his family in a prominent position with regard to Iraq's economy. Chalabi has faced charges of corruption throughout his political career, including a 1992 conviction in Jordan for embezzlement, fraud and breach of trust after a bank he managed collapsed and $300 million went missing. During Saddam's rule, Chalabi led the Iraqi National Congress [Wikipedia article], one of the leading opposition groups abroad. Chalabi was a candidate on Ibrahim al-Jaafari's Shiite political party ticket. AP has more.