BAGHDAD, Sept 1: Gunmen opened fire on former Iraqi governing council president Ahmed Chalabi's convoy on Wednesday, wounding two of his bodyguards, the politician and his aides said.
The attack took place in the Latifiyah area south of Baghdad, where gunmen have fired on several foreigners and Iraqi officials in the past. "We were returning from Najaf after meeting Ayatollah Ali al Sistani and gunmen opened fire on the convoy south of Baghdad," said Mr Chalabi, who escaped unhurt.
"It was an ambush. I don't think there is anything further to say. These things are part of the job." One aide said two armed men escaped after firing automatic rifles at the convoy.
"We are investigating to see whether this one targeted Dr Ahmad specifically. It appears so," the aide, Haidar Moussawi, added. Ahmed Chalabi, a former Pentagon ally whose relationship with Washington has soured, has escaped several attempts on his life during decades in exile, aides say.
Mr Chalabi, a member of Iraq's interim national assembly, proceeded after the attack to attend the assembly's first meeting in Baghdad. A US-appointed Iraqi judge has accused Mr Chalabi of counterfeiting money. He denied the charges and said they were politically motivated.
Ahmed Chalabi returned to Iraq last month to face an arrest warrant for the counterfeiting charge that could land him in jail for years. But no legal action has been taken against him so far. Chalabi has worked to build a political base in recent months, forging allies with anti-American figures such as Moqtada al Sadr. -Reuters
