Iyad Allawi to Be Iraqi PM - Allawi Aide

Reuters ^ | Fri, May 28, 2004 | Reuters

[Eurotwit]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iyad Allawi, a member of Iraq (news - web sites)'s Governing Council with long-time links to the CIA (news - web sites), has been chosen as prime minister of Iraq's interim government, an aide to Allawi, Hany Adris, told Reuters Friday.

"There was a meeting Governing Council and Dr. Allawi was unanimously chosen as prime minister," Adris said, adding that U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and the U.S.-run occupation authority in Iraq had endorsed that choice.

Other Governing Council sources confirmed the selection. Allawi is a wealthy secular Shi'ite and former member of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s Baath Party who turned against the former regime and went into exile to oppose it.

[Eurotwit]

Allawi Nominated As Transitional Iraqi PM

1 minute ago

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi Governing Council on Friday nominated one of its own members, Iyad Allawi, a Shiite Muslim physician who spent years in exile, to become prime minister of the new government to take power June 30, members said.



The chief U.S. administrator in Iraq (news - web sites), L. Paul Bremer, was at Friday's council session and congratulated Allawi on his nomination, said Mustafa al-Marayati, an aide to council member Raja Habib al-Khuzaai.


The council also planned to nominate a president and two vice presidents. But it was not known whether U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has approved the choices.


Brahimi has been leading the process for drawing up the new government, which also includes 26 Cabinet ministers. The final lineup is scheduled to be announced by Monday.


"The whole process is based on guidelines and recommendations made by" Brahimi, said al-Marayati.


Allawi was endorsed unanimously by the council, council member Mahmoud Othman said.


Allawi was formerly secretary-general of the Iraq National Accord, an opposition group made up in part by former military officers who had defected from Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime.


He was part of the opposition to the Iraqi regime in the early 1970s and was at the forefront of the exile movement against Saddam.


During his years in exile, Allawi was the little-known favorite of CIA (news - web sites) officers wary of dealing with the flashier, better-known exile leader Ahmad Chalabi.


Chalabi, the favorite of the architects of the Iraq invasion at the Pentagon (news - web sites), has fallen out of favor in recent months after his information about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction was discredited.


While living in London in 1978, Allawi survived an assassination attempt believed to have been ordered by Saddam.


His Iraqi National Accord group advocated a coup against Saddam but an attempt in 1996 failed. Allawi continued to have strong support within the State Department, CIA and Britain's MI-6 intelligence service.

[Semper Paratus]

A brave man.

[Eurotwit]

Interesting how this seems to fit in with the Pentagon - State Department/CIA conflict.

Allawi seems to be "CIA's Chalabi"

I remember reading a little while back something about Chalabi's involvement in the failed coup? Anyone remember?

[TexKat]

I'll put this over here Eurotwit, I see you beat me to posting this article. I asked Admin to delete mine.

Iyad Allawi is seen at a news conference in Madrid Spain, in this Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 file photo. Allawi, a Shiite Muslim physician who spent years in exile, has been nominated by the Governing Council to become prime minister of the new Iraq government to take power June 30, a council member said Friday, May 28, 2003. (AP Photo/Paul White, File)

[Eurotwit]

Nooo :-) I posted some results of my googling over there. Well, I'll repost. (BTW: I chose to use the shorter post about the Allawi appointment because it seemed to confirm that Brahimi was on board, whilst the other did not)

-----

Rival former exile groups clash over security in Iraq

http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=2170

Heck, the two of them even seem to be related:

"Military affairs are taken care of by another Ahmad Chalabi nephew, his sister’s son, Ali Allawi, named by American viceroy Paul Bremer as new defense minister for the post-June 30 government. Earlier, he was interim trade minister. Ali’s cousin Iyad Allawi also sits on the Interim Governing Council with Ahmad Chalabi. "

http://www.agenceglobal.com/Article.asp?Id=128

[Eurotwit]

Chalabi has written opinion articles in the Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer and USA Today urging the United States to increase the power of the Governing Council, to speed the transfer of power to Iraqis and to intensify the hunt for remnants of Hussein's Baath Party.

Allawi, in contrast, has argued in opinion articles in the Washington Post and New York Times that the "de-Baathification" of Iraq has gone too far, hurting the innocent as well as the complicit. By excluding people who can make an important contribution, it is slowing Iraq's recovery, he has argued.

"Allawi, who has riled U.S. officials with some of his candid remarks about Iraq, had his wings clipped in December.

During a trip to the U.S. intended primarily so he could work at CIA headquarters, the agency disappointed Allawi by insisting that he cancel meetings with journalists and newspaper editorial boards. "

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=5490&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

[Eurotwit]

Hi Texkat,

Allawi claims that Atta was trained in Iraq according to this thread you have posted earlier:

‘Saddam had ordered Atta training’

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1040403/posts

[Eurotwit]

Allawi:

"As far as Germany and France are concerned, really, this was a regrettable position they had," Allawi said. "I don't think the Iraqis are going to forget easily that in the hour of need, those countries wanted to neglect Iraq."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/10/23/sprj.irq.main/

[Eurotwit]

One Iraqi's Insights "LONDON -- Amid the confusing parade of Iraqi politicians vying for influence these days in Baghdad, a little-known figure named Ayad Allawi deserves a special hearing -- for the simple reason that he has been right about the big issues affecting postwar Iraq. Allawi has argued for more than a decade that a stable Iraq is possible only if most Iraqis believe they have a place in the new order. The only people he would exclude from this big tent are those who were directly involved in Saddam Hussein's regime of torture and repression. This strategy of inclusion may seem obvious, but it was rejected in the early days of the U.S. occupation, with disastrous consequences. With Iraq now in disarray, Allawi, in a recent interview here, outlined his views about how to stabilize the country." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A51270-2003Dec9&notFound=true

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

"There was a meeting Governing Council and Dr. Allawi was unanimously chosen as prime minister," Adris said, adding that U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and the U.S.-run occupation authority in Iraq had endorsed that choice.

Read the other thread first so I was wondering whether the UN was on board with this.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

"As far as Germany and France are concerned, really, this was a regrettable position they had," Allawi said. "I don't think the Iraqis are going to forget easily that in the hour of need, those countries wanted to neglect Iraq."

Oh I like that statement. Give the French and Germans what they deserve.....nothing.

[mewzilla]

Read the other thread first so I was wondering whether the UN was on board with this.

If they are, please, please tell me they were coerced.

If not, I'm worried.

[rrrod]

interesting developements...

[cookcounty]

"‘‘We are uncovering evidence all the time of Saddam’s involvement with Al Qaeda,’’ Allawi said. ‘‘But this is the most compelling piece of evidence that we have found so far. It shows that not only did Saddam have contacts with Al Qaeda, he had contact with those responsible for the September 11 attacks.’’

How's Koppel going to spin this? Easy, he'll ignore it. Ted is sooooo predictable. You don't even have to watch the show.

[InterceptPoint]

I'm surprised this story isn't getting more attention on FR. It is the biggest story of the day for sure. If this guy is the right guy it will make a huge difference in our goal of achieving a secure and peaceful Iraq. If he is the wrong guy you can kiss off the Bush second term.

Also for sure: the media will declare that he is the handpicked puppet of Bush and the CIA so get ready for that onslaught.

[KC Burke]

Regrettably, it is a real problem how the US media will undermine this unanimous choice.

The media wants failure and controversy and if there isn't enough of it, they will do their damnedest to produce more.

I notice Reuters can't write a paragraph without linking this guy to the CIA. I have news for the media, every exiled Iraqi would have been scoped out by the CIA for "intelligence"....its in their name, dummies.

The fact that he is of Shiite extraction is fine with me. It will be harder for the Iranian mullahs to claim "their" people are underrepresented or oppressed.

I hope this goes through without a hitch and we can start training their army and law enforcement instead of being their army and law enforcement.

[TexKat]

This strategy of inclusion may seem obvious, but it was rejected in the early days of the U.S. occupation, with disastrous consequences.

Info straight from the Iraqi's mouth (as in the above statement)is what I have based my opinions regarding the situation in Iraq on, although some of us are accused of just going by what is out in the media. I have watched a few Iraqis and muslims on cable news and C-Span in the past months that have said the same and more as Dr. Allawi.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Note the WAshingtonPost lie snuck into that quote. "Disastrous consequences..." RATmedia Lie Alert.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Late afternoon update:

Allawi Nominated As Transitional Iraq PM (Afternoon update - more details )