JURIST - Paper Chase: Ahmed Chalabi sues Jordan, seeks to clear name

Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, has filed suit against Jordan in US court, alleging that the country's government had wrongly seized a bank he owned in the late '80s and continued to smear his reputation by linking him with intelligence leaks to Iran. Chalabi, once a frontrunner to lead the Iraqi interim government, has since fallen from favor with the US and faces charges in Iraq for allegedly counterfeiting money (JURIST's Paper Chase has background on the charges). Chalabi claimed the Jordanian seizure of his Petra Bank and embezzlement charges against him were an effort to keep him from revealing Jordan's illegal arms deals with Saddam Hussein. The Guardian has background on Jordan's prosecution of Chalabi. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more.

UPDATE: AP is reporting that the Iraqi Interior Ministry said it has no intention of arresting Chalabi in the immediate future, despite an arrest warrant being issued Saturday. Chalabi had returned to Iraq after the warrant was announced. AP has more.