Why has President George W. Bush chosen a convicted embezzler, who stole $78 million from the Petra Bank of Jordan, as the future ruler of Iraq.

I reference to the head of the Iraqi National Congress, Ahmad Chalabi, who is the darling of the JINSA (Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs) "chicken-hawks" Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, and others who are now running America's foreign policy in the Middle East.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher pointed out to Tim Russert in an April 27 "Meet the Press" interview that Ahmad Chalabi has been convicted in absentia of embezzlement of the Petra bank funds mentioned above which led to the banks' collapse. Mr. Muasher cited the fact that Ahmad Chalabi is now a fugitive from Jordanian justice with a 22-year prison sentence hanging over his head.

The Bush-anointed Chalabi is not only an absconding crook from Jordan.

Jordan's foreign minister also pointed out that our president's favorite Iraqi also bankrupted two banks in Lebanon and is now in trouble with the banking authorities in Switzerland.

The Swiss media have reported that "Chalabi-linked finance firms" loaned " millions of pounds to companies controlled by the Chalabi family, including Ahmad Chalabi himself..." [1]

The Chalabi controlled Swiss banks Socofi and Mebco also experienced the same fate as the Petra bank of Jordan, Ahmad Chalabi's premier exercise in embezzlement.

Is this why some 130 young Americans died? Did they die to replace the despot of Baghdad with a professional swindler?

These are questions which should be addressed to our representatives in Congress? These are questions that should be addressed to President George W. Bush himself.

The writer is a retired teacher, Curriculum Coordinator of the Menasha Public Schools and former President of Wisconsin Federation of Teachers. He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from Wisconsin, USA.