Salem Chalabi
Encyclopedia
Salem Chalabi (1963, Baghdad
) is an Iraq born, American educated, lawyer. He was appointed as the first General Director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal set up in 2003 to try Saddam Hussein
and other members of his regime for crimes against humanity. His appointment, by an order signed by L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the occupation authority, was widely criticized for perceived nepotism (his uncle Ahmed Chalabi
was critically involved in the US-led war against Iraq and Hussein) and he himself lacked any significant trial experience (he was a corporate securities lawyer). He was ultimately dropped from the Tribunal after an arrest warrant was issued for investigation into his role in the murder of a director-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance who was investigating Chalabi family properties acquired in Iraq; the charge was ultimately dismissed citing lack of evidence.
Salem Chalabi was primarily educated in the United States. His uncle Ahmed Chalabi
was the controversial leader of the Iraqi National Congress
and former member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council and a Deputy Prime Minister; he is also "a former banker in Jordan who fled the country in 1989 before he could be arrested in connection with a $200 million financial scandal. He was later tried in his absence and sentenced by a Jordanian court to 22 years in prison on 31 charges of embezzlement, theft, misuse of depositor funds and currency speculation." Salem studied at Yale University
(where he was on the Rugby Team and a member of the controversial Rockingham Club
) graduating in 1985, and in 1993 received a law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law
. He worked for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York and lastly for Clifford Chance
in London, in both instances as a corporate lawyer specialising in capital markets.
Mr. Chalabi was a member immediately before the 2003 US invasion of Iraq of the Department of State sponsored Future of Iraq project, in which he was appointed as rapporteur of the Transitional Justice Working Group.
Questions about conflicts of interest swirled around Sam Chalabi." Returning to Iraq in April 2003 he founded the controversial Iraqi International Law Group
. Chalabi set up this "marketing partnership with L. Marc Zell
, the former law partner of Douglas J. Feith, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for policy. Zell was to help lead American and Russian clients interested in reconstruction to Sam Chalabi’s firm, which would in turn help them meet U.S. and Iraqi officials". Zell, born in the United States, moved with his family to the Jewish settlement of Alon Shevut on the West Bank, in 1988, at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, acquiring Israeli nationality. His Jerusalem based firm, whose staff produced the content of the Iraqi International Law Group
's website, cites one of its main activities is to help Israeli companies to do business abroad.
"In interviews, Sam Chalabi spoke of his daily contacts with his uncle [Ahmed Chalabi], and the fact that one of his 26 first cousins was the Iraqi minister of trade." Sam Chalabi also played an important role in the new government: as an advisor on the writing of commercial laws and a national constitution, among other issues.
After "an outpouring of publicity", Sam Chalabi disbanded the partnership, saying, “I have to be more careful about the appearance of a conflict of interest.”".
Salem Chalabi was also appointed as firm's counsel to newly founded security firm Erinys, which "won a plum $80 million contract to guard Iraqi oil installations, employing members of Chalabi's private militia for the purpose."
on December 13, 2003, an Iraqi Special Tribunal was announced, with Salem placed in charge by an order signed by L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the occupation authority, As such, Salem was responsible for the setting up and the administration of the tribunal, including the nomination of judges and prosecutors; he also arranged for the judges to visit the Slobodan Milošević
' tribunal
at the Hague
.
However on August 8, 2004, while Salem was in London, a warrant was issued in Iraq
for his arrest, for his alleged involvement in the May 28, 2004 death of Haithem Fadhil, director-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. On the same day, a warrant was issued for his uncle Ahmed Chalabi
on money counterfeiting charges, however those charges were dropped in late September 2004, with Judge Zuhair al-Maliki citing lack of evidence. The charges against Salem Chalabi were dropped in December 2004, citing lack of evidence.
On September 7, 2004 it was reported that Chalabi had been removed or was about to be removed from his post as head of the tribunal. On September 19 the New York Times quoted Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi
as saying that he had received Salem's resignation.
There is no public information available at present as to what business or professional activities, if any, Mr. Chalabi is presently engaged in.
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
) is an Iraq born, American educated, lawyer. He was appointed as the first General Director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal set up in 2003 to try Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and other members of his regime for crimes against humanity. His appointment, by an order signed by L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the occupation authority, was widely criticized for perceived nepotism (his uncle Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi is an Iraqi politician. He was interim oil minister in Iraq in April-May 2005 and December-January 2006 and deputy prime minister from May 2005 until May 2006. Chalabi failed to win a seat in parliament in the December 2005 elections, and when the new Iraqi cabinet was...
was critically involved in the US-led war against Iraq and Hussein) and he himself lacked any significant trial experience (he was a corporate securities lawyer). He was ultimately dropped from the Tribunal after an arrest warrant was issued for investigation into his role in the murder of a director-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance who was investigating Chalabi family properties acquired in Iraq; the charge was ultimately dismissed citing lack of evidence.
Salem Chalabi was primarily educated in the United States. His uncle Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi is an Iraqi politician. He was interim oil minister in Iraq in April-May 2005 and December-January 2006 and deputy prime minister from May 2005 until May 2006. Chalabi failed to win a seat in parliament in the December 2005 elections, and when the new Iraqi cabinet was...
was the controversial leader of the Iraqi National Congress
Iraqi National Congress
The Iraqi National Congress is an umbrella Iraqi opposition group led by Ahmed Chalabi. It was formed with the aid and direction of the United States government following the Gulf War, for the purpose of fomenting the overthrow of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.-History:INC was set up following the...
and former member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council and a Deputy Prime Minister; he is also "a former banker in Jordan who fled the country in 1989 before he could be arrested in connection with a $200 million financial scandal. He was later tried in his absence and sentenced by a Jordanian court to 22 years in prison on 31 charges of embezzlement, theft, misuse of depositor funds and currency speculation." Salem studied at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
(where he was on the Rugby Team and a member of the controversial Rockingham Club
Rockingham Club
-The original Rockingham Club :This was founded in York, England and had its first meeting on 23rd December 1753 in the George Inn, York....
) graduating in 1985, and in 1993 received a law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law
Northwestern University School of Law
The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...
. He worked for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York and lastly for Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance
Clifford Chance LLP is a global law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom and a member of the 'Magic Circle' of leading UK law firms. It is one of the ten largest law firms in the world measured by both number of lawyers and revenue...
in London, in both instances as a corporate lawyer specialising in capital markets.
Mr. Chalabi was a member immediately before the 2003 US invasion of Iraq of the Department of State sponsored Future of Iraq project, in which he was appointed as rapporteur of the Transitional Justice Working Group.
Questions about conflicts of interest swirled around Sam Chalabi." Returning to Iraq in April 2003 he founded the controversial Iraqi International Law Group
Iraqi International Law Group
Iraqi International Law Group was created in 2003 by Salem Chalabi and Marc Zell as "the first international law firm" based in Iraq.The firm received widely publicized criticism when it was revealed that Chalabi, nephew of Ahmed Chalabi, a highly controversial expatriate Iraqi intimately involved...
. Chalabi set up this "marketing partnership with L. Marc Zell
Marc Zell
L. Marc Zell is a Washington, DC born attorney, currently based in Israel.Graduated with an A.B. from Princeton University in Germanic Languages and Literatures with a concentration in theoretical linguistics and a J.D. with honors from the University of Maryland at Baltimore...
, the former law partner of Douglas J. Feith, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for policy. Zell was to help lead American and Russian clients interested in reconstruction to Sam Chalabi’s firm, which would in turn help them meet U.S. and Iraqi officials". Zell, born in the United States, moved with his family to the Jewish settlement of Alon Shevut on the West Bank, in 1988, at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, acquiring Israeli nationality. His Jerusalem based firm, whose staff produced the content of the Iraqi International Law Group
Iraqi International Law Group
Iraqi International Law Group was created in 2003 by Salem Chalabi and Marc Zell as "the first international law firm" based in Iraq.The firm received widely publicized criticism when it was revealed that Chalabi, nephew of Ahmed Chalabi, a highly controversial expatriate Iraqi intimately involved...
's website, cites one of its main activities is to help Israeli companies to do business abroad.
"In interviews, Sam Chalabi spoke of his daily contacts with his uncle [Ahmed Chalabi], and the fact that one of his 26 first cousins was the Iraqi minister of trade." Sam Chalabi also played an important role in the new government: as an advisor on the writing of commercial laws and a national constitution, among other issues.
After "an outpouring of publicity", Sam Chalabi disbanded the partnership, saying, “I have to be more careful about the appearance of a conflict of interest.”".
Salem Chalabi was also appointed as firm's counsel to newly founded security firm Erinys, which "won a plum $80 million contract to guard Iraqi oil installations, employing members of Chalabi's private militia for the purpose."
Iraqi special tribunal
With the capture of Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
on December 13, 2003, an Iraqi Special Tribunal was announced, with Salem placed in charge by an order signed by L. Paul Bremer III, the head of the occupation authority, As such, Salem was responsible for the setting up and the administration of the tribunal, including the nomination of judges and prosecutors; he also arranged for the judges to visit the Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
' tribunal
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
However on August 8, 2004, while Salem was in London, a warrant was issued in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
for his arrest, for his alleged involvement in the May 28, 2004 death of Haithem Fadhil, director-general of the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. On the same day, a warrant was issued for his uncle Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Chalabi
Ahmed Abdel Hadi Chalabi is an Iraqi politician. He was interim oil minister in Iraq in April-May 2005 and December-January 2006 and deputy prime minister from May 2005 until May 2006. Chalabi failed to win a seat in parliament in the December 2005 elections, and when the new Iraqi cabinet was...
on money counterfeiting charges, however those charges were dropped in late September 2004, with Judge Zuhair al-Maliki citing lack of evidence. The charges against Salem Chalabi were dropped in December 2004, citing lack of evidence.
On September 7, 2004 it was reported that Chalabi had been removed or was about to be removed from his post as head of the tribunal. On September 19 the New York Times quoted Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi
Iyad Allawi
Ayad Allawi is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraq's 2005 legislative elections. A prominent Iraqi political activist who lived in exile for almost 30 years, the politically secular Shia Muslim became a member of the Iraq Interim Governing Council, which...
as saying that he had received Salem's resignation.
There is no public information available at present as to what business or professional activities, if any, Mr. Chalabi is presently engaged in.
External links
- Profile: Salem Chalbi BBC News website from August 2004
- Interview with Salem Chalabi: Judging Saddam - August 2004 interview by Michael Rubin for Middle East Quarterly
- Interview with Salem Chalabi for BBC's Breakfast with Frost from June 2004
- Friends of the family Guardian story about Chalabi family connections from September 2003