And I thought that the whole Ashcroft-Ridge fight was a mess but this one is another real winner. While some of the press is reporting that the decision to promote Alawi to the position of Premier of Iraq as an independent decision made by the Iraqi Governing Council, the New York Times is saying otherwise. Contrary to the hyped "surprise and confusion" that someone is suggesting is coming out of Washington, this was clearly a US decision.
"...Iyad Alawi, is the secretary general of the Iraqi National Accord, an exile group that has received funds from the Central Intelligence Agency. His ties with the C.I.A., and his closeness to the United States could become an issue in a country where public opinion has grown almost universally hostile to the Americans.Being under such a microscope, does Bush really think that he can trick Iraq and the world into accepting another US lackey?
"When we first heard the news today, we thought that the Iraqi Governing Council had hijacked the process," said a senior United Nations official...
United Nations officials said any misgivings that Mr. Brahimi had about Dr. Alawi were not about the man himself but about his past associations and how they might play with the Iraqi public, because of Dr. Alawi's ties with the C.I.A." - NY Times
