ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The family of Iraqi Shiite politician Ahmed Chalabi confirmed Monday that the late politician who passed away recently had died of natural causes, and was not poisoned as suggested by some Iraqi media reports.
Chalabi’s death report was reviewed by experts in two different countries, both reportedly concluding that the 71-year-old had died of natural causes on November 3.
Recently, Hakim Zamili, head of the security committee of the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw that he and his colleagues were awaiting Chalabi’s official death report, because of the timing of his death.
There have been unsubstantiated reports in the Iraqi media that Chalabi was poisoned or strangled to death.
Zamili had refused to speculate about the circumstances of death, saying only that Chalabi passed away just as Iraq’s national budget arrived in the Iraqi Parliament for debate.
Chalabi had been a controversial politician who crusaded in Washington for the ouster of Saddam Hussein but later demanded that US troops withdraw. The 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq was in part based on faulty intelligence provided by Chalabi.
The late powerful politician held many posts in the Iraqi government, including deputy prime minister and oil minister, and was a leading force against Saddam’s Baath Party. He survived at least one assassination attempt in 2008 that killed six of his bodyguards.
Chalabi is believed to be survived by his wife Leila, and four children.
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