Middle East Focus: N Y Times Promotes Allawi to Contender……….

Arabia Deserta

N Y Times Promotes Allawi to Contender……….

“The serpentine career of Ayad Allawi, who served briefly as Iraq’s interim prime minister five years ago, has taken another unlikely turn: a secular Shiite with little taste for campaigning, he stands a strong chance of winning the most votes in Sunday’s parliamentary elections as the leader of a coalition that is attracting deep support from Sunni Muslims. He has a history of blurring expected lines: Once a staunch Baathist, he survived an assassination attempt by ax ordered by Saddam Hussein and later developed deep ties to the Central Intelligence Agency. Now he is staging a surprising political comeback by pushing a secular and nationalist agenda that has made him the most formidable alternative to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. …….”

This reporter for the NY Times must have been reading campaign posters. Even the most ardent supporters of Allawi do not claim he is a credible choice for prime minister. Those who do probably do not follow Iraqi politics closely. I can tell you now: Allawi will never be prime minister of Iraq. I bet on it: if I lose, I’ll refrain from blogging for one whole day.
This doesn’t mean I think al-Malkiki or any specific candidate of the others will win the position. It just will not be Allawi (even after his alliance claims voting fraud, which they will if they lose, which they will).
As for the assassination attempt by Saddam: I need proof of that.
Cheers
mhg

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