WASHINGTON, June 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. military has come to the defense of the Iraqi National Council and its chief Ahmad Chalabi, accused of misleading intelligence officials.
A U.S. Army report determined INC intelligence was the best of five Iraqi organizations that helped topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, Middle East Newsline said.
The report said the INC information constituted "reconnaissance surveillance capability that U.S. forces cannot match in an urban environment."
Last month, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee the INC provided intelligence that saved the lives of U.S. soldiers.
However, leading members of the Senate Intelligence Committee have called for an investigation into Chalabi and his contacts with Iran. Unidentified U.S. officials said Chalabi relayed classified information to Iran, including an assertion the United States broke the Iranian intelligence code.
The Iraqi exile, MIT-trained mathematician and wealthy businessman denies providing misinformation or complicity with Iran.
