Bosom Buddies

Via Atrios:



And, in addition to reports of heavy fighting (AP: "American tanks and AC-130 gunships pounded insurgent positions near two shrines in the center of the holy city of Karbala early Friday") in both Karbala and Najaf, Juan Cole passes on this info on Chalabi:

Ash-Sharq al-Awsat: Chalabi aides said that 10 computers and lots of files were carted away from Chalabi's house, which they turned upside down. His nephew, Defence Minister Ali Allawi, who lives with Chalabi (the two stay in the house without their families) was at home, and was holding a meeting with the Foreign Minister (Hoshyar Zebari). An Iraqi National Congress spokesperson told the London newspaper that this was not the first time Coalition troops had come into the house, but it was the first time such an incident was made public. The troops said they wanted to arrest two members of the INC, but Chalabi told them they were not present in the house."