WASN'T BEING A HAND-PICKED ALLY OF AMERICA SUPPOSED TO BE A HINDRANCE?:

Allawi seen as Iraq front-runner (MOHAMAD BAZZI, February 1, 2005, Newsday)

Allawi's main competitor for Iraq's top post is Adel Abdel-Mahdi, the current finance minister and a leader in a major Shia political party that is part of the shia coalition expected to win the largest bloc of seats in the new parliament. Abdel-Mahdi's biggest obstacle is that the coalition has been unable to agree on him as its unified choice for prime minister.

The Shia coalition, known as the United Iraqi Alliance, is backed by the most revered cleric in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. If the coalition can't decide on its candidate by the time parliament is convened in mid-February, Allawi will keep his job by default, according to several Iraqi officials and analysts interviewed in recent days.

The Bush administration strongly supports Allawi and has been lobbying to keep him in power, according to Iraqi officials. But the United States also would back Abdel-Mahdi if a consensus emerged around his candidacy, the officials say.

"For the Americans, the first choice is Allawi," said a senior Iraqi official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Abdel-Mahdi is an acceptable second choice."

Heads we win. Tails we win.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 2, 2005 1:03 PM