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Iraqi dignitaries gather for official funeral of prominent politician Ahmad Chalabi

Associated Press
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Security forces and mourners escort the coffin of Ahmad Chalabi, seen in the poster at center, during his funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other senior Iraqi dignitaries are paying their final respects to Chalabi who died on Tuesday of a heart attack. The prominent Iraqi politician became a Pentagon favorite when he helped convince the Bush administration to overthrow Saddam Hussein in 2003 by pushing false allegations of weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaida. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) (The Associated Press)

Security forces and mourners escort the coffin of Ahmad Chalabi, seen in the poster at center, during his funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other senior Iraqi dignitaries are paying their final respects to Chalabi who died on Tuesday of a heart attack. The prominent Iraqi politician became a Pentagon favorite when he helped convince the Bush administration to overthrow Saddam Hussein in 2003 by pushing false allegations of weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaida. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) (The Associated Press)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, center, arrives to attend the funeral of Ahmad Chalabi, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Chalabi, a prominent Iraqi politician who strongly advocated for the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein, has died of a heart attack, Iraqi state TV reported Tuesday. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim) (The Associated Press)

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other senior Iraqi dignitaries are paying final respects to prominent statesman Ahmad Chalabi.

The politician, who died of a heart attack Tuesday at age 71, will be buried in Najaf on Wednesday.

Chalabi became a Pentagon favorite when he helped persuade the Bush administration to overthrow Saddam Hussein in 2003 by pushing false allegations of weapons of mass destruction and links to al-Qaida. However, he fell out with the Pentagon after the invasion, and was largely sidelined by other Iraqi leaders.

Other senior officials gathering at parliament in Baghdad included President Fouad Massoum and prominent Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim. Chalabi's family is also there.

Chalabi had most recently been serving as the chairman of parliament's finance committee, and was previously a deputy prime minister.