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Chalabi came to the Iraqi capital from the southern city of Nasiriyah, said the aide, asking not to be named.
Earlier, Nabil al-Mussawi, Chalabi's deputy in the INC, told AFP in Dubai Chalabi was heading to Baghdad from Nasiriyah to "help restore order and security" in the capital.
The formerly London-based Chalabi, who enjoys the backing of the Pentagon and strong ties in the US Congress, had been in Nasiriyah for around 10 days.
He had previously spent nearly two months in Kurdish-held northern Iraq ahead of the US-British invasion that toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Mussawi, speaking by telephone from the northern city of Mosul, said Chalabi, who is accompanied by aides, has family homes in his native Baghdad, but would not go into details about where he will be staying.
"Baghdad is home for him, and even if he goes somewhere else (in Iraq), he'll return to Baghdad," Mussawi said.
He disputed the suggestion that Chalabi's arrival in the capital would fuel speculation that the INC chief was gearing up for a top leadership role in post-Saddam Iraq.
"Not necessarily," said Mussawi. "So far, he has not expressed the wish to play any role in the future. We hope we will dissuade him (and convince him) to change his mind."
Chalabi sent representatives to Tuesday's US-sponsored opposition meeting just outside Nasiriyah which ended with agreeement to reconvene in 10 days.
"We are not going to wait for a conference or anything else before attempting to give some dignity to our people," Mussawi said in a reference to the chaotic situation and breakdown of services in Baghdad.
Meanwhile, a statement faxed to Dubai by the Iraqi National Accord Movement, another group that opposed the ousted regime and was mainly based in London, said its leader Iyad Allawi arrived in Baghdad Wednesday accompanied by 100 members of the movement.
The statement said the group had opened offices in the Iraqi capital and several other major cities, including Basra in the south and Kirkuk and Mosul in the north, to launch a new stage of "public political activity after the fall of Saddam's buried regime" and to help provide services to citizens.
SPACE.WIRE |