Speaking today amid rising tensions, Iraqiya bloc leader Ayad Allawi today reiterated his belief that his secular bloc should have the first crack at forming a government by virtue of netting the most seats in the March 7 election.
Technically speaking this is correct, though Iraqiya’s narrow plurality has since been destroyed by disqualifications and summary detentions, but his bloc seems destined to move into the opposition following this week’s announcement of an alliance between #2 and #3 seat getters the State of Law and Iraqi National Alliance.
Making matters even worse for Iraqiya, the fourth place bloc, made up of the largest parties in Kurdistan, has expressed its willingness to join the government made up of the two large Shi’ite religious blocs.
Though this probably closes the books on Ayad Allawi’s comeback and any chance he had at retaking the prime ministership this time around, the real question will be the reaction of his Sunni allies, who saw concerted efforts by the presumptive incoming government to arrest and harrass the people they elected, and after a brief glimmer of hope are seeing their factions return to political irrelevance.
Ayad Allawi's biggest mistake was his inability ti distance himself from Baathist. How could any Iraqi patriot support a list with ties to former and current saddam's loyalists.
the Iraqi people are between a rock and hard place.
We need a secular, non Baathist federal government.
The bottomless brutality of the US in Iraq is only matched by its bottomless stupidity.
Hussein died a martyr.
Also clearly as an Iraqi fighting the invader.
Whatever the justified hostility between the Iraqi Shi'a and Hussein even some of the Shi'a admit those two points in a grudging way.
Sadr is and had been playing a very subtle game.
No one expects the Shi'a to become Ba'ath obviously.
But it is astonishing what a hostile occupying force can manage in the way of uniting blood enemies.
Few Saddam's loyalist terrorist group are fighting to regain power in Iraq. Hussein was and is most hated person in Iraq. most Iraqis welcomed US invasion in 2003. I believe the Iraqi people know very well, that US did invade Iraq to free people from dictator, but to secure future oil flow and US political intrest in the region.
A likely story.
There were Shi'a in the Ba'ath, just as there were Christians.
CORRECTION
that US did NOT invade Iraq to free people from dictator,