Ahmed Chalabi found dead

Ahmed Chalabi, the smooth-talking Iraqi politician who played a role in persuading the United States to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, died on Tuesday of a heart attack, state television and two parliamentarians said.

Haitham al-Jabouri, secretary of parliament's financial panel, which Chalabi had chaired, said attendants had found him dead in his bed in his Baghdad home.

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.