- BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - - Gunmen
opened fire Wednesday on a convoy carrying former Iraqi Governing Council
member Ahmad Chalabi in an apparent assassination attempt that wounded
two of his bodyguards, Chalabi's spokesman said.
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- Chalabi's convoy was attacked in southern Baghdad at
about 7:30 a.m. as he returned from the holy city of Najaf, said spokesman
Mithal al-Alusi.
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- "The doctor (Chalabi) is in good health. He is safe
but two of his bodyguards were injured, " al-Alusi said.
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- Chalabi, a one-time Pentagon (news - web sites) favorite
who fell out of favor with the United States, returned to Iraq (news -
web sites) from Iran earlier this month to face counterfeiting charges.
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- A warrant issued by an Iraqi court accused him of counterfeiting
old Iraqi dinars, which were removed from circulation after the ouster
of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) last year. Chalabi denies the allegations,
saying he collected the fake currency in his role as chairman of the Governing
Council's finance committee.
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- Despite the warrant, the Iraqi Interior Ministry has
said it won't arrest Chalabi until unspecified legal issues are cleared
up, leaving him free to move around the country.
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- Chalabi's nephew, Salem Chalabi ó who heads the
special tribunal in charge of trying ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
ó faces separate murder charges.
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