Podcast Summary: Slow Burn – "The Road to the Iraq War" | Ep. 1: The Exile

Host: Noreen Malone (Slate Podcasts)
Original Episode Date: April 21, 2021

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode kicks off Slow Burn’s fifth season, exploring the pivotal events and personalities that culminated in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. The first episode, “The Exile,” zeroes in on Ahmed Chalabi: a charismatic, controversial Iraqi exile whose relentless ambition and manipulation helped lay the groundwork for regime change in Iraq. Through first-hand interviews, archival audio, and expert analysis, the show delves into Chalabi’s background, his entanglements with U.S. policymakers and intelligence agencies, and how his efforts set the stage for one of the most consequential wars of the 21st century.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Ahmed Chalabi and His Resolve

• [01:46] Ahmed Chalabi, an Iraqi aristocrat exiled since his youth, dedicated his life to deposing Saddam Hussein:
  • Quote: “Saddam is an insult to my being. He’s an insult to my country. He’s an insult to our history, to our culture.” (Ahmed Chalabi, 01:46)
• Chalabi's self-image: modeled on transformative leaders (e.g., Gandhi, Mandela, de Gaulle).
• Noted as both brilliant and a "bullshit virtuoso"—master manipulator, but with fervent conviction.

2. Early Coup Attempts and CIA Collaboration

• [05:27] Chalabi forms the Iraqi National Congress (INC) with CIA funding, envisioning it as a government-in-waiting.
• [03:55] CIA's ambivalence: They provided Chalabi with funds mainly for anti-Saddam propaganda, not expecting real revolution.
  • Quote: “...in those days, we had a lethal finding against Saddam Hussein. That means we could use lethal force... From a Hollywood standpoint, I call it a license to kill.” (Bob Baer, CIA operative, 03:41)
• [08:25] Chalabi used U.S. resources to mount his own coup attempts, circumventing CIA oversight.

3. The 1995 Failed Coup and Its Fallout

• [09:08–15:42] In 1995, Chalabi coordinated with Kurdish fighters, supposed dissident Iraqi generals, and even courted Iranian backing—on the basis (mostly a bluff) that the U.S. was committed.
  • Forgeries and bluffs (e.g., the NSC "assassination team" letter) convinced some partners, but not Washington.
  • The operation, lacking true U.S. backing, failed disastrously: Saddam’s forces retaliated, many fighters were killed, and Chalabi became a liability in intelligence circles.
  • Quote: “Covert action by the CIA is just that. It is completely unreliable. They’re prepared to burn your house to light their cigarette.” (Ahmed Chalabi, 15:00)
• [16:29] The CIA severed ties: issued a “burn notice”—Chalabi’s intelligence was officially deemed not credible.

4. From Pariah to Power Broker: Rebranding in Washington

• [17:10–32:55] Despite banishment by U.S. intelligence, Chalabi worked American media and think tanks:
  • Courted neoconservatives (e.g., Bernard Lewis, Paul Wolfowitz) who saw him as a modernizing, democratic hope for Iraq (31:12).
  • Press coverage depicted him as a humanitarian hero betrayed by cynical U.S. agencies.
  • Notable tactic: Framed Saddam’s atrocities in language resonant with American ideals of democracy and justice (34:53), targeting both hawks and liberals.

5. The Iraq Liberation Act and Washington’s Embrace

• [39:40–41:19] In 1998, Chalabi lobbied for, and Congress passed, the Iraq Liberation Act—requiring U.S. policy to seek regime change in Iraq and funding opposition, including the INC.
  • Quote: “The evil of Saddam must be confronted with the strong arm of justice, not with the limp handshake of appeasement.” (Ahmed Chalabi, 39:40)
• Chalabi’s allies: Democrats, Republicans, foreign policy hawks, and idealists—all seeking different outcomes but finding Chalabi’s narrative compelling.

6. Personal Ambition, Shiite Identity, and Entitlement

• [20:08–21:16] Chalabi’s background as a Shiite from one of Iraq’s wealthiest families, and the trauma of exile, fueled his fierce drive for power and revenge.
  • Quote: “Ahmed was raised in this environment of power brokering... This included plots to overthrow neighboring regimes. It was plots to bribe people. It was schemes to confer power on some people and crush others.” (Rich Boonen, biographer, 21:16)
• Chalabi’s personal ambition to lead Iraq was central to his mission—he saw himself as uniquely entitled and equipped for national leadership.

7. Final Reflections on Chalabi’s Legacy

• [45:42–46:08] Chalabi returned to Baghdad after Saddam's fall but never became Prime Minister. He played a major, controversial role in post-invasion Iraq, was accused of spying for Iran (which he denied), and eventually died in Baghdad.
  • Quote: “I played a role in getting rid of the most severe and fascist, racist, totalitarian dictatorship that ever beset an Arab country.” (Ahmed Chalabi, 45:42)
  • Counterpoint (Rich Boonen, 46:08): “He also shares responsibility for the death and destruction that followed.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Saddam is an insult to my being. He’s an insult to my country. He’s an insult to our history, to our culture.”
  —Ahmed Chalabi (01:46)

• “In those days, we had a lethal finding against Saddam Hussein... I call it a license to kill.”
  —Bob Baer (03:41)

• “Covert action by the CIA is just that. It is completely unreliable. They’re prepared to burn your house to light their cigarette.”
  —Ahmed Chalabi (15:00)

• “He parlayed his debacle in Iraq into a narrative. As an Iraqi freedom fighter who was betrayed by the CIA.”
  —Rich Boonen (32:21)

• “To American ears, it all sounded very Jeffersonian.”
  —Rich Boonen, on Chalabi discussing democracy (34:53)

• “The evil of Saddam must be confronted with the strong arm of justice, not with the limp handshake of appeasement.”
  —Ahmed Chalabi (39:40)

• “If Iraq didn’t have oil at all, I don’t think anybody would have been interested then or now.”
  —Rend Al Rahim (37:26)

• “He had a sense of entitlement, if you know what I mean... his was personal.”
  —Rend Al Rahim (43:15–43:49)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |:----------|:--------------| | 01:46 | Introduction of Ahmed Chalabi—his mission and character | | 05:27 | Formation of the Iraqi National Congress and CIA funding | | 09:08–15:42 | The failed 1995 coup attempt, CIA/deep state machinations | | 16:29 | CIA issues “burn notice” against Chalabi | | 17:10–32:55 | Chalabi’s public relations campaign and cultivation of U.S. elites | | 39:40 | Chalabi testifies before U.S. Senate, pushing for overthrow | | 40:50 | Iraq Liberation Act passes, INC government funding restored | | 45:00–46:08 | Chalabi’s final years and legacy in post-Saddam Iraq |

Tone & Language

The tone is investigative, layered, and reflective, balancing deep skepticism with empathy for the ambitions and traumas driving its principal character. The host and interviewees often oscillate between marveling at Chalabi’s charisma and dissecting his opportunism, capturing the complicated emotional and political history that fed into war.

For New Listeners

This episode offers essential context for understanding both the personal ambitions that can drive international events and the manner in which U.S. foreign policy can be steered by compelling, but not always trustworthy, actors. If you want to know how a largely exiled, scandal-tinged operative could manipulate world powers and become pivotal in dragging America into Iraq, this is the place to start.

Next on Slow Burn: The focus shifts to the post-9/11 period and the escalation of fear, policy, and war planning in Washington.