>>U.S. Raids Iraqi National Congress Headquarters, Council Says
May 20 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. soldiers today raided the headquarters of the Iraqi National Congress party in Baghdad, according to Hamid al-Kifai, spokesman for the country's U.S.- appointed Governing Council.
Ahmad Chalabi, a member of the Governing Council, founded and heads the party. Chalabi's house is in the same building as the party headquarters, al-Kifai said by telephone from Baghdad. He said he didn't know the reason for the raid, whether there were any arrests or whether the operation had ended.
U.S. soldiers raided Chalabi's house to look for fugitives, the Associated Press said, citing Haidar Musawi, one of Chalabi's aides. The agency cited unidentified neighbors as saying members of Chalabi's entourage were taken away. Iraqi police accompanied American forces in surrounding the building, AP said.
A U.S. military spokeswoman in Baghdad, who declined to be identified, said she was awaiting confirmation of the raid. The telephone line for Chalabi's office was busy.
U.S. funding for Chalabi's party will be ended on June 30, the day the U.S.-led coalition transfers sovereignty to Iraq, ``by mutual consent,'' he has said. The U.S. has said it's cutting off monthly payments of $340,000 to the INC as part of the process of handing over power. <<
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